


Fixing The Stars (Adashi/Shadam Fanfiction)

by periwinklebooks08



Category: Adashi - Fandom, Voltron - Fandom
Genre: Adam - Freeform, M/M, Shadam, Shiro - Freeform, Voltron, adashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24537784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/periwinklebooks08/pseuds/periwinklebooks08
Summary: The Kerberos mission landed safely on Earth. Voltron never happened. There was no war. Shiro and Adam were reunited. Do they get to live their fairytale, their happily-ever-after?
Relationships: adashi - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. He’s Back

The alarm on my nightstand was screaming at me to wake up. I didn't really want to get out of bed until I saw the whiteboard sitting on my dresser. It's today. Takashi is coming home. I jump out of bed and throw on whatever was on the top of my drawer. I didn't even bother to make coffee, which I'll probably regret later. I memorized the exact time the ship was landing. 8:30 a.m. It was 8:15 so I run through the hallways, shoving people out of my way. 

I got to the runway and saw a bright orange dot in the sky. It was at that moment it hit me. The love of my life would be back in my arms again. The speck grows bigger, and the shape of a shuttle starts to form. I cover my face with my hands and start bouncing up and down. The silhouette grows bigger and I see the wheels pop out from underneath. The spacecraft lands on the cement and the bay door opens. I see a tall figure step out and recognize it immediately.

"Takashi!" I exclaim.

"Adam, oh my god," he says running towards me. 

Next thing I know, I'm sprinting. I jump into his arms and I cry tears of joy into his chest. I can feel small drops of liquid on my shoulder coming from Takashi's eyes. He puts me down and I study his face for the first time in what feels like forever. His gray eyes that light up when he's happy. Oh, how I could get lost in them. "I missed you so much," I sob. "I missed you more," he cries. We sink down onto our knees and our lips interlock. The kiss feels welcoming, his soft lips on mine. It feels familiar, it feels comforting. Takashi pulls away to breathe and his eyes lock with mine. I pull him into an embrace and I don't want to let him go again. 

Eventually, a loud voice comes onto the Garrison intercom. "Would Takashi Shirogane, Samuel Holt, and Matthew Holt please come to Commander Iverson's office. You may bring any family and friends. I finally stand up and help Takashi up too. Our fingers interlace and we walk to Iverson's office. 

When we enter, he tells us to sit. "Takashi Shirogane, Samuel Holt, and Matthew Holt showed a very real sign of bravery and leadership going on this mission. On behalf of the Galaxy Garrison, we would like to give you these medals for completing the very brutal task of exploring the end of our solar system." Takashi, Sam, and Matt both walk up to Iverson and he places a medal around all three of their necks. Me, Sam's wife and Matt's mom Colleen, and Matt's sister and Sam's daughter, Katie, clap. A huge smile forms on everyone's face in the room. "Great job. The Galaxy Garrison is proud to have you here." Iverson says. Everyone starts clapping again, and Takashi returns to my side and I interlace my fingers in his. Iverson sees this and turns a light shade. I roll my eyes and laugh. "What," Takashi says in a mocking tone. I nod my head toward Iverson and Takashi starts laughing too. "Hey, Commander Iverson," Takashi says, pulling me with him. Iverson turns around and Takashi kisses me. 

I blush. I missed those lips. Every night before bed, he kissed me. It helped me fall asleep because it reminded me that everything would be ok. For the first few nights, when he was gone, I would be up until 1 a.m. not just worrying about the world, worrying about him. Most nights I would go into a spiral of thoughts. A lot of things could go wrong, and all of them were going through my head. It would scare me so much, I would come home crying. It would also happen during my classes. When they were taking their tests, I would run to the bathroom, and if I was lucky, get back just in time for class to end. 

"Adam? Adam?" I snap back to reality. "I'm sorry. I didn't have coffee today," I say, not wanting to tell him what was really going on inside my head. "Ok," he says, kissing my cheek. Iverson runs out of the room and I laugh.

"I'm going to say bye to Sam and Matt," Takashi says.

"Ok," I say. He forgets that we are holding hands and drags me with him. He lets go of my hand and pulls Sam into a hug. He whispers something in Sam's ear. He hugs Matt and then starts talking to them. I just stand there, I've always been awkward in social situations.The first day I came to the Garrison I spilled coffee all over Takashi and I couldn't stop stuttering. 

Takashi says bye to everyone and grabs my hand. We walk back to the apartment and I can see Takashi relax. 

"Wait! I have a surprise," I say. 

I walk over to the fridge and pull out a cake. It says "Welcome Home."

"Awww. Thank you. I love it," he says and I kiss his cheek. 

"I missed you," I say, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"I missed you more," he says.

"I have an idea. Why don't we watch a movie," I say. 

He pulls me onto the couch and pops a CD into the video player. 

"What did you pick?" I ask. 

"You'll see," he says. 

I immediately recognize the movie from the first scene. Takashi sits on the couch next to me and I lean my head on his shoulder. The screen goes black and the words "Back To The Future" appear on the screen. We used to watch the movie every Friday. It was then I realized I was up until 2 a.m. last night grading papers. I fell asleep happy for the first time in a year. 

I wake up to a kiss on my cheek. I slowly open my eyes, but everything was blurry. I blinked a few times thinking it was from sleeping, but then I realized Takashi took my glasses. 

"Takashi," I moan. 

"Yes?" he asks.

"Where are my glasses?" I ask. 

He hands me my glasses and I can see again. 

"Thank you," I say.

"No problem. Plus I know you're blind without them," he says, snickering. 

I get up off the couch and go to the coffee machine.

"What do you want for lunch?" I ask, taking a mug from the dishwasher. 

"Cake," he responds.

"Ok," I say, taking out the cake from the fridge. 

I cut him a piece while I make myself some coffee.

"Adam, it's three o'clock in the afternoon, why are you drinking coffee?" Takashi asks. 

"You are looking at a coffee addict," I say, giving him the plate. 

"You didn't change at all," he says laughing.

"Of course I didn't. I need coffee to live. In fact, if I just had coffee for the rest of my life, I wouldn't complain." I say, going on a full-fledged rant. 

Takashi was laughing so hard, it made me laugh a little. I cut myself a slice of cake, grabbed the coffee mug, and sat down next to him. 

"Let me feed you some," he says. 

I rolled my eyes. 

"No," I say. 

"Pleaseeee," he whines.

"No," I say. 

"If I get to feed you cake, I'll make coffee for you the rest of the week," he says. 

"Fine," I say. 

He took the plastic fork and put the cake on it. I opened my mouth and he puts the bite of cake in my mouth. I put some frosting on my finger and smeared it on his nose.

"More frosting for me," he says, shrugging. I laugh as he attempts to lick the frosting off his nose. 

Eventually, he gives up and wipes it off with his finger. As he feeds me the next bite, there is a knock at the door. 

"It's open!" Takashi yells. 

Iverson walks in and immediately looks away. I cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Mr. W, there is a fight we need you to break up," he says. 

"Crap," I say under my breath. 

The last thing I want to deal with was hormonal teenagers. 

"I'll be right back, I'm sorry," I say.

"I'll be waiting," Takashi says and I kiss him on the cheek. 

I follow Iverson down the hall where I see two kids going at it. I pull them apart and examine their faces. It was Keith Kogane and James Griffin. Of course, it was them. They were either glaring at each other or arguing in my class. 

"Stop it. There is no reason to be fighting. Ok, if you hate each other than stop talking. If there is another fight, you are both expelled. I'm tired of it. It's almost every week. I expect better," I say, letting them go. 

They look at me, frightened. I don't really care what thirteen-year-olds think about me. I go back to the apartment, fuming. Stupid kids have to waste my time. I open the door and sit down next to Takashi. 

"What happened?" he asked.

"Keith Kogane and James Griffin. They are constantly fighting, almost every week they get in a fistfight. I'm just tired of it." I say.

"Keith Kogane, you say," Takashi says.

"Yeah, he's failing my class," I say.

"Really? He had a ninety-five when I left," 

"Huh," I say.

"I'm sorry," Takashi says, rubbing my back. 

There is a knock at the door and I answer it. 

"Um, Mr. W, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, it's just I hate that kid so much," James says. 

"It's ok, James, just I expect better of you next time. You're a smart kid. Act like one," I say. 

He nods his head and walks down the hallway. I close the door and sit back down. Takashi had frosting all over his mouth. I laugh.

"What?" he asks. 

"You have frosting all over your mouth," I say. 

"Oh yeah?" he says, kissing my cheek. 

I laugh, wiping my face.

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you too," he says. 

I kiss him and of course, he grabs my glasses. 

"Get back here!" I scream.

"You're gonna have to catch me first!" he yells back. 

I chase him around the apartment, tripping every five seconds. I jump on what I think is Takashi's back and wrap my arms and legs around him. 

"Fine, you win," he says in defeat, handing me my glasses. 

The world is clear again and I kiss the top of his head. I slide down his back and onto the ground.

"Do you want to help be grade papers?" I ask. 

"Ok," he says. 

I grab his hand and pull him into the bedroom. He sees the whiteboard that I used to countdown the days until he was coming back. I sat down on the bed. This is going to be fun. 

"What's this?" he asks. 

"Ok, this is going to seem really pathetic, so just beware. I counted down the days until you came home. And kinda kept a journal," l explain. 

Takashi comes and sits next to me. 

"Adam, that's not pathetic. It's one of your quirks. And I love it," he says. 

I release my breath. 

"Really?" I ask. 

"Yes. It's what makes you, you. And I love you," he says. 

"I love you more," I say. 

I kiss him and all the good memories come rushing back. I'm never letting him leave again.

"Ok, this is going to be really awkward, be prepared. Are we still getting married?" I ask. 

"Of course," he says. 

I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Now will you help me grade these papers? I have to pass them out tomorrow." I say. 

"Ok," he says. 

"Is there an answer key?" he asks. 

"Of course. I can't live without one," I say. 

I pull out a sheet with all the answers marked in red ink.

"Thank god. I hated Astrophysics. Not the subject, the teacher. He was the worst," Takashi says. 

"Who did you have?" I ask, scribbling a huge C on a paper. 

"Mrs. Rodriguz. She was the worst," he says. 

"Oh, I had Mrs. Quinton. She was one of my favorite teachers." I say honestly.

"This person failed. What do I write?" he asks. 

"Put an F and say "talk to me after class". I give them test reflections," I say.

"Can I re-take Astrophysics with you?" he asks.

"I think all of my students hate me though," I say. 

"Are you kidding? I hear them talking in the halls about how much they love you. They say you're the coolest teacher on campus," he says. 

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes! I would have killed for a teacher who curses and gives test reflections," Takashi says. 

"Are you sure?" I ask. 

"Positive," he says. 

I kiss him on the cheek and write an A in red ink. 

"Who's Lanca?" Takashi asks. "That kid is a handful. It's Lance. He spells his own name wrong a lot," I explain.

"Oh. And doesn't he have those two kids as like his sidekicks?" he asks. 

"Yes. Hunk and Pidge. They won't shut up. Hunk is really sweet though," I say. 

"Well, Lance failed, so did that Keith kid," he says. 

I write an F on Jillian's paper. "And Jillian," I say. 

"Get changed, we're going somewhere special for dinner," I say. 

I grab a button-down shirt and black jeans, then I head to the bathroom to get changed. I pull on the shirt and jeans and walk into the bedroom. Takashi was wearing a collared shirt and blue jeans. I interlace my fingers with his and lead him out the door. Takashi locks the door and we leave the Garrison campus. 

"Where are you taking me?" Takashi asks. 

"You'll see," I say. 

There was a small town less than a mile away from the Garrison, so usually, students and teachers would walk there. 

"What was Kerberos like?" I ask.

"Cold. But it felt magical. It felt like I was in a whole different universe." he says. 

He saw the sign that said "Welcome to Movero" and caught onto me.

"Are we going where I think we're going?" he asks. 

"Maybe," I say. 

We go towards the small restaurant that has a huge sign above the door. The sign reads, "Pastasciutta." Me and Takashi had our first date here.

"You are so cheesy," Takashi says. 

I laugh and open the door. We walk up to the hostess and she seats us. I still haven't let go of Takashi's hand, but I have to when we sit down. 

"What would you like to drink?" the hostess asks.

"Water please," I say.

"Same here," Takashi says. 

She nods her head and walks away.

"I don't want to go back to work tomorrow," I complain. 

"They're making me go to a school tomorrow, not that excited," he says.

"That sucks, you just came back from space and they already want you scouting," I say. 

"It's not that bad. All I do is introduce myself and then let them play a video game," he says. 

"True. I'm probably just going to let the kids catch up on missing work or do test reflections. Don't feel like teaching," I say.

"Can I have you as a teacher?" he asks. I laugh. 

"If you have a day off, come talk to my classes about Kerberos. I'll make them take notes. One less day that's I'm up until 2 a.m. grading papers," I say. 

"Ok, I have Friday off," he says. 

"Perfect. I don't even know what I was going to do on Friday. They have a test on Thursday," I say. 

The waitress comes back with two glasses of water and sets them down on the table. 

"What would you like to eat?" she asks. 

"Can I please have the lasagna," Takashi says. 

"I'll have the spaghetti," I say. 

She nods her head and walks in the other direction. Me and Takashi hold hands over the table.  
"I missed you," I say. 

"I missed you more," he says. 

"You're never leaving again," I say. 

"I'll try," he says.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Takashi says. 

"Ok," I say. 

I watch as he goes into the hallway. I can tell something is up, he just won't tell me. It's not his arm because he told me his next appointment was next week, what else could it be? Takashi returns and I know something is bothering him. 

"What's wrong?" I ask. 

"Nothing," he says. 

He's such a bad liar, but I won't get into it. 

"Ok," I say. 

The waitress comes with our food. 

"Thank you," I say as she walks away. 

"Where are you going tomorrow?" I ask. 

"Pine Lake Elementary. Apparently they're the best school around," he says. 

I nod my head. 

"I went there for elementary school. Everyone hated me, but it was still a pretty good school." I say.

"Everyone hated you?" he asks. 

"Yeah. They used to make fun of my glasses and I would sit alone at lunch. They called me four-eyed," I say.

"That sucks, I'm sorry," he says.

"Nothing to apologize for, it was kinda nice not being in all the drama," I say.

"Wow," he says. 

"What was your childhood like?" I ask.

"I was that one boy who was on every sports team, chasing the girls around the playground and trying to pull their pigtails." he says. 

"What was that like?" I ask.

"It was pretty fulfilling until I saw my first rocket launch. I wanted to go into space." he says.

"Wow." I say. "When I was in second grade, I had a project. I had to track the stars every night. One night I wondered what was up there. That's when I knew I wanted to explore the unknown," I say.

"What do you think is past our solar system?" he asks. 

"I don't really know," I say.

I look into his grey eyes. I didn't know how I had the capability to love a person so much. But I did.  
"What are you thinking about?" Takashi says playfully.

"How much I love you," I responded.

"I love you more," he says.

I kiss him and the waitress comes with the check. We both pull out our credit cards.

"Stop. You just came back from space," I say.

"Thank you," he says.

"Thank you for coming back," I say.

He laughs and kisses my cheek. I give my credit card to the waitress and she comes back with the receipt. We thank her and walk out. I intertwine my fingers with Takashi's and we walk back to our apartment. He unlocks the door and he pulls me into our bedroom.

"Ok, Adam, I can't keep hiding this from you. My parents are really homophobic. They are threatening to never see me again. I'm sorry if they start harassing you, I can't-," he says, tears coming to his eyes. 

I wrap my arms around him as I feel the tears dripping on my shoulder. 

"It's ok, it's going to be ok," I say.

"No, it's not," he says.

"Takashi, look at me. If they can't accept you for you, to hell with them. If they don't love you for who you are, maybe it's good if you don't talk to them for a while. I love you for you. Don't change who you are. Ok?" I say.

He nods. "I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says.

I can still feel the warm tears on my shoulder.

"It's going to be ok," I say.

I can feel his head move up and down on my shoulder as in agreeing with me. I rub circles on his back trying to comfort him. 

"Come on," I say, grabbing his wrist and pulling him onto the couch. I turned on the TV and the speakers started blaring:

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way,"

Me and Takashi clap along with the song. Friends was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. Not really a kid, more like a teenager. I liked a lot of comedy shows, laughing helps me cope with stress. Takashi checks his watch. 

"I'm going to bed," he says getting up.

"I'm going to take a shower," I say.

I walk to the bathroom and turn on the water. I clean my hair and body and get out of the shower. I slip on my pajamas and walk back into the bedroom. When I come back, Takashi is passed out on the bed. I chuckle quietly and go over to the whiteboard. I erase the countdown and write one of my favorite quotes on it.

"Your life isn't yours if you care what other people think,"

I think it will motivate Takashi to get over his parents. I drew little hearts all over the board and in the corner I write "I love you!" I slide into bed and eventually fall asleep.

A/N: Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed chapter 1! Each chapter will switch pov. So chapter 2 is in Takashi's pov.


	2. They’re Coming.

The alarm and the nightstand is yelling at me to wake up. Adam's arms and legs are wrapped around my upper body. I laugh and this wakes him up. 

"Huh?" he asks.

This makes me laugh harder. He slaps my arm playfully and rolls his eyes. Adam reaches for his glasses, but he can't see. I grab them for him and hand them to him.

"Thanks," he mumbles, slipping them on. I get up and start towards the kitchen. I remembered I agreed to make Adam coffee the rest of the week, so I grab a mug and click a button on the coffee machine. I see Adam drag himself out of the bedroom with the worst bedhead known to man. I laugh and Adam gives me a death glare.

"What?" he whines.

"Your bedhead is cute," I say. He rolls his eyes. 

"Shut up. You know I'm not a morning person," Adam says.

I laugh and hand him the coffee. 

"Thank you," he says drinking it.

"No problem," I say, dumping cereal into a bowl. Adam was sitting at the table and I joined him.

"Ugh," he moans, leaning his head on my shoulder.

"I forgot how much you hated mornings," I say honestly.

"I despise mornings," he says.

I laugh and he gives me a look. I stop and finish my cereal. I put my bowl in the dishwasher and hop in the shower. I put on my Garrison uniform and head out to the living room. Adam was still in his pajamas and class started in thirty minutes.

"You're still not dressed?" I ask.

"Give me time. Plus I'm not showering," he says.

I shrug and get my stuff together. "I have to go," I say, kissing Adam's cheek.

"Bye," he says.

He's clearly still not awake. I head out of the apartment and get in one of the Garrison cars. I pull up the GPS to get directions to the school. It says I'll be there in half an hour. Perfect. I start driving and get to the school in thirty minutes, just like the GPS said. The school was small, but it was a school for high achieving, so what do you expect? I walk to the classroom, classroom 2B. I knock on the door and a blonde woman answers. She was pretty tall with a blonde bob and glasses.

"Hello, I'm Takashi Shirogane from the Galaxy Garrison. I'm here to speak to your class." I say.

"Hello Mr. Shirogane, I'm Marry Walkerman. Come on in," she says.

She opens the door I follow.

"Class, this is Takashi Shirogane. He is one of the best pilots of his generation. He is here to recruit some of you to be the next generation of space explorers," Marry says.

Everyone claps and I wave.

"Hi, I'm Takashi Shirogane and I'm here to talk to you about joining the Galaxy Garrison next year. We are always looking for young talent, and I'm sure all of you are full of it." I say.

All the students look at me in awe.

"I'm going to give you a test," I say.

They all groan.

"The test is going to be a video game,"

They all perk up and start talking to each other excitedly.

"If you're ready, follow me," I say.

They all line up behind me and I bring them outside where the simulator is set up. Everyone tries, yet only two people get past level four. Mrs. Walkerman hands me a list of who she thinks is best fitted for joining. I point to the two who made it past level four.

"Are they on there?" I ask.

"Yes. They have the best grades in the whole school, so expect them to do well," she says.

"Great. Thank you so much for letting me speak to your class," I say.

"It was my pleasure dear. Have a great day!" she says.

"You too!" I say in response.

I climb into the Garrison truck with the list. I drive back to the Garrison and knock on the door to Iverson's office.

"Come in," a hoarse voice says.

I open the door and hand him the list.

"Pine Lake Elementary thinks that these students would be best suited for being young cadets next year," I say. 

"Very well then. Thank you," Iverson says.

"My pleasure," I say leaving the office.

God, that place was scary. I sigh and walk back to the apartment. It was only two so Adam should still be teaching. I unlocked the door and threw my bag on the couch. I checked my phone and there was a text from Adam. It said that he might be a little late coming home because Iverson said they needed to talk. This scared me a little, but I knew Adam did nothing wrong. I walked into the kitchen and made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I sat down on the couch and watched Friends. It felt different without Adam. Kinda like something was missing. I hear the door open.

"Hey, Ad- what happened?" I ask when I see his face.

His eyes are red and cheeks are tear-stained.

"I-I-Iver-Ivers-Iverson s-sa-said t-th-that th-the-there w-we-were a-ale-aliens go-going-going t-to at-att-attack E-Ear-Earth," Adam says trying to catch his breath.

"Shhhh," I say. I wrap my arms around him trying to comfort him. Adam is shaking.

"Shhh, it's going to be ok," I say. He starts sobbing into my shoulder. I rub circles on his back.

"You're going to be ok. Look at me," I say. Adam's wet face looks up at me. "I will protect you no matter what. I promise," I say.

"I-I-I l-lo-love y-yo-you s-so m-mu-much," he whispers. "I love you more," I say. I interlace my fingers with Adam's shaking ones and guide him toward the couch.

He sits down and I sit next to him. I pull him into a hug and he breaks down. I take off his glasses and wipe the tears from his face. "It's going to be ok, I promise," I say. I kiss the top of his head, then his forehead, then his cheek, and lastly his lips.

"I love you too much not to protect you with my life. If those aliens do come, I promise I will be right next to you the whole time. I love you, Adam. I love you so much," I say, tears coming to my eyes. It killed me to see him like this.

"I love you Takashi," he says. "I don't deserve you," he says. "I don't deserve you," I say. "You're so loving and sweet, you care about me more than anyone does," I say. A huge smile creeps onto his face, and it's the best feeling in the world.

"I love you," he says. I press my lips against his, and I feel like the world was perfect. It felt like my parents weren't threatening to never see me again, no aliens were going to take over the Earth. We both pull away for breath, and I look into his honey-brown eyes. I know why I chose to spend the rest of my life with him. 

A smile creeps onto my face and soon enough we both look like children who had two much ice cream. Adam starts laughing which makes me laugh too. "I love you," he says. "I love you more," I say. I grab his hand and it's still shaking. "It's ok," I say. "I know. I just can't stop it," I nod my head and kiss his hand. This makes him blush. I laugh. "What?" he asks. "You're so cute," I say. He blushes more and kisses the tip of my nose. This makes me blush. 

I lay down and Adam lays down on my chest. I kiss the top of his head and before I know it Adam was asleep on me. I missed this. I should have never left him. Now I realize why he never wanted me to leave. Because he was worried about me. That's just Adam. I would never change him for the world. I watch a few episodes of Friends, careful not to wake Adam. I check my watch and it's almost seven. I kiss right between Adam's caramel eyes.

"Adam," I whisper, and shake him a little.

"W-what?" he asks, worried.

"You're ok. It's almost seven, and I thought you might be hungry," I say.

"Oh," he says relieved. I take his glasses and slip them on the bridge of his nose. "Thanks," he says.

"No problem," I say, kissing his forehead.

"What do you want for dinner?" I ask.

"Mac and Cheese," he says.

"Ok," I say, getting a box from the pantry.

"I'll make it," Adam says.

"No, I got it," I say. He laughs.

"What?" I ask.

"Takashi, last time you tried to cook, you melted a plate," he says.

"That was one time. Let me try again. And plus, it's from a box, how hard could it be?" I say.

"You said that when you made box cake. You ended up burning the cake so bad that it was hard as a rock," he says.

"Fine. Maybe you could help me?" I ask. "Ok," he says.

Adam pulls a pot out of a drawer and puts water in it.

"Why do we need that?" I ask.

"That's how we cook the pasta," Adam explains.

"Now we have to boil the water," he says.

"And how do we do that?" I ask.

"You turn on the stove, do you know how to do that?" Adam asks.

I nod my head and turn the knob to turn it on.

"Good. Now wait until it bubbles," he says.

The water starts bubbling and I look at Adam for what to do next.

"Now, put the pasta in," he says.

I open the box and dump the pasta in. A white pouch goes into the water and Adam laughs. He takes it out and sets it aside.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask.

"That is the cheese. It's not supposed to go in the water." Adam explains.

I nod as Adam turns a handle on a round white thing.

"What's that?" I ask.

"It's a timer. It'll ring when the pasta is done," he says. I nod my head.

"Meanwhile," I say and turn on the radio. I grab his hands and pull him into the living room. I wrap my hand around his waist and he puts his arm on my shoulder. We start dancing around the apartment. I can't stop smiling. Adam starts laughing which only makes me happier.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you more," he says.

I kiss him and we keep our foreheads glued together. The timer goes off and we head back to the stove. I didn't bother to turn off the radio. The song came on and I look at Adam.

"Her name was Lola," I sing.

Adam snaps his head in my direction. "She was a showgirl," he says,

"With yellow feathers in her hair," I say.

"And a dress cut down to there," he sings. I turn off the stove and grab his wrists.

"She would merengue," I say.

"And do the cha-cha," he says.

"And while she tried to be a star,"

"Tony always tended bar," we were both singing at that time.

"Across the crowded floor, they worked from eight til' four," we say. "They were young and they had each other, who could ask for more?"

I was laughing. Adam grabbed a spoon and used it as a microphone. "At the Copa, the Copacabana," we were interrupted with a knock at the door.

I roll my eyes and open the door. Our neighbor, Skylar, didn't look pleased.

"Hi Skylar," I say.

"Keep it down," she says and walks away. I close the door and start laughing.

"Come on," I say, pulling Adam into the kitchen. "I want to know how to cook,"

"Ok, get the milk from the fridge." Adam says. I obey and grab the milk.

"Ok, this is called a tablespoon," he says, holding up a small spoon. "Put milk in it," he says. I pour it into the tiny spoon.

"Now put it in the pot," he says. I dump the milk into the pot. "Good. Do it again," he says. I pour the milk into the tiny spoon and then the pot. "Now, we put the 'cheese' in," he says. I open the white package and dump it in with the pasta and milk. "Great. Now," he says, handing me a wooden spoon, "Stir," I grab one of the handles to keep it from spinning, (At least I know why the handles are there.) And stir the pasta, powder, and milk. When it looks like mac and cheese, I stop.

"Did I do it?" I ask. He nods his head. "Yes," I say pumping my fist in the air and Adam laughs.

"I'm so proud of you. Now you can cook without almost burning down the Garrison," he says. I laugh and grab two bowls. "Spoon or fork?" I ask. "Fork. Who uses a spoon?" Adam asks. "Psychopaths," I say. "Can't argue," he says. We laugh as I separate the mac and cheese into two bowls. I hand Adam one bowl and a fork. "Thank you," he says. "No problem," I say, grabbing my own bowl.

"I'll teach you how to make latkes," Adam says.

"How to make what now?" I ask.

He laughs and sits down at the table. "Latkes. The potato pancakes you eat during Hanukkah." he clarifies.

"Oh, those are really good," I say sitting next to him.

"I have my grandma's special recipe. Hers are the best. I can never get them as good as hers," Adam says.

"I would like to meet her," I say. Adam laughs. I try the mac and cheese and I'm pretty impressed with myself. It's not that bad.

"This isn't half bad," Adam says.

"Really?" I ask.

"For your first time not burning something, you did really good," he says. I kiss his forehead as I get up. I put the empty bowl in the sink and Adam follows me.

"I have a movie for us to watch," I say as Adam sits on the couch. I find the Mean Girls CD and pop it in the CD player.

"Really?" Adam asks when the movie starts.

"Hey, it's iconic," I say.

He laughs and I sit down on the couch next to him. Adam laces his fingers through mine. "Damian is my spirit animal," Adam says.

"Too gay to function? Me too sweetie," I say.

We both laugh and watch the movie. "One day a girl asked me out, and I told her I was gay. She got so mad she didn't leave the bathroom the whole day," I say.

"Really? Everyone just assumed I was gay. I don't know," Adam says.

"I wonder what high school is like," I wonder aloud. You don't go to high school of you attend the Galaxy Garrison. Some people miss middle school too. 

"I think it's hell," Adam says. I laugh and nod my head.

"Hormonal girls," I say. We both shiver. The movie finishes and I get up.

"I'm going to sleep," I say.

"I'm going to shower," Adam says.

I nod and kiss his cheek. It makes him blush. He's too cute. I walk into the bedroom and see something written in Adam's handwriting:

"Your life isn't yours if you care what other people think."

I read it over and over until I could say it in my sleep. It made a spark go off inside me. It gave me the power to maybe face my own parents.

I slip on my pajamas and slide under the comforter. Adam walks in and climbs into bed. I interlace my fingers with his and kiss his forehead. "Good night. I love you," I say. "I love you too," he says. A few minutes later, sleep takes over.


	3. Pluto Isn’t That Far

I wake up to the sound of my alarm. I have the urge to throw it against the wall but fight it.  
My fingers are still laced with Takashi's. He opens his eyes and yawns. 

"Good morning," he says.

"Good morning," I mumble.

"You're really not a morning person," he says. I give him a glare and he stops.

"Do I have to get up?" I ask.

"Yes. You have to get up or you'll get fired," he says.

"Fine," I say sliding out of bed. I try to find my glasses but the world is blurred. Takashi hands them to me and I slip them on my nose. 

"Thank you," I say.

"No problem," he says kissing my cheek. I drag myself out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"When is winter break?" I ask.

"Not for another three months," Takashi says. I groan.

"Two weeks of sleeping in, it's heaven," I say. Takashi laughs and hands me a mug of coffee.

"Thank you," I say, taking a sip.

"What would you do if there was no coffee for a week?" Takashi asks.

"Kill myself," I say. We both laugh. "I would probably sleep as long as I want, I don't know," I answer honestly. I finish drinking my coffee and walk into the bedroom. I slip on my Garrison uniform and grab my bag. I forgot the tests yesterday, so I have to give them out today. I walk back into the kitchen and grab the tests.

"I'm going to go in the shower," Takashi says.

"I have to go, I love you," I say.

"I love you too," he says. I kiss the tip of his nose and head out the door. I walk to my classroom and unlock the door. I go to my desk and set the tests down. I put my bag on the leg of the chair, so it is leaning on it. I sigh and separate the tests so they are in period order. I start inputting the test scores into the computer. By the time I'm done with first through third period, kids are starting to come through the door. When the tardy bell rings, I grab the papers.

"Good morning," I say. "I'm going to go over the answers to the test and then I'll pass them out," I say. Everyone nods their heads and I pull up the camera. The test is projected on the smart board and I go over the answers. I hand out all of the papers to the students and a lot of them are happy.

"Ok, as you know, your unit test is this Thursday. Get out your computers, get with a buddy or two and review the material. If your test says something, come see me." I say. Lance comes to my desk.

"Lance, you spelled your own name wrong. And failed this test miserably. I will let you retake the test, and average your score out with this one. Hopefully it will get you to at least a B. Study with your friends today, and I want the second attempt on my desk by Thursday," I say.

"Thank you," Lance says. "No problem. I see potential in you Lance. Use it," he nods and goes to sit with Pidge and Hunk. I sit down at my desk and finish putting in grades. Rose comes up to my desk.

"Um, Mr. W? Why do we have tests every week? It's kinda stressful," she says.

"Listen. If it was up to me, there would be no tests. I hated tests. But Iverson insists. It's bullcrap but I have to. I'm sorry," I say. She nods her head and goes back to her seat. I notice that no one is sitting with her. I walk to her desk and sit in an empty desk next to her. 

"Do you need someone to study with?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"I always liked working alone. No one who was bothering me. And plus, I need to study hard in this class. I want to be an engineer, not a pilot. Apparently you need an A in this class to be one," she says. I nod my head.

"Well guess what. You have a one hundred five in this class. You have the highest grade in all seven periods. You can destress for a while. You're doing great," I say. She nods.

"Thank you," she says.

"Anytime," I say, smiling. I go back to my desk and get a phone call.

"Woodford," I say. "Listen, there might be a lock down today, be prepared," Skylar says. She's also a teacher. "Thanks for letting me know," I say. "No problem," "Bye," I say and hang up the phone.

"Alright, three minutes until the bell, you can pack up," I say. All the students put away their stuff and line up at the door. Instead of the bell, Iverson comes on the PA system.

"All students and staff report to your dorms immediately," he says. "Go," I say. All the students run through the halls to their rooms. I grab my bag and stand in the hall for a while, just to make sure all the cadets get to their dorms. When the hallways were clear, I run back to the apartment. I close the door behind me and lock it. My hands start shaking and I melt to the floor. I hold my head in my trembling palms. Takashi comes running around the corner.

"Are you ok?" he asks. I nod my head and look at him. He looks so worried it makes me feel bad. My heart starts beating faster and Takashi sits next to me. 

"Hey," he says. I look into his eyes. "It's going to be ok," he says. "This is what we are trained to do. All those drills and simulators, it's all leading up to an opportunity like this. An opportunity to shine," he says. I nod my head. 

"Thank you," I say. "There is nothing to thank me for," he says. Takashi pulls me into a hug and I lean my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for putting you through all this," I say. "I'm just not good under pressure," I say. Takashi pulls away from the hug.

"Listen to me. You shine under pressure. It might get to your head for a little, but then you do what's right. And that's what makes you, you," he says.

I smile and he grabs my shaking hands. "It doesn't matter the outcome of the fire. It matters how you walk through it," he says. "I love you," I say. "I love you more," he says. 

Iverson comes onto the PA system again. "All commanders please report to Admiral Sanda's office." Takashi stands up and helps me up. 

"You ready?" he asks. "I was born ready," I say. He interlocks his fingers with my shaking ones and we walk to Sanda's office. 

When we get to Sanda's office, she looks weird. I've never seen her this way. It's kind of scary. Me and Takashi have to unlink our fingers because Sanda is pretty homophobic. 

"Everyone to their pods. Shirogane and Woodford, in the big guns," she says. Me and Takashi link pinkis. 

"Go," she says. We all flood out of her office and me and Takashi run to the cruiser. Everyone else scrambles to their pods. God, I hate take off. Takashi grabs my hand and I intertwine my fingers with his. The countdown starts and I squeeze my eyes shut. The craft starts moving and I hold my breath. I don't know why I hold my breath, it was just a reflex. The nose of the ship starts tilting up.

"You ok?" Takashi asks. I nod my head and tighten my grip on his hand. He rubs circles on the back of my hand with his thumb to comfort me. It helps a little, but the ship starts to rise. When we reach cruising altitude, I start to relax. But then I see it. A ship that is at least three times the size of ours, glowing purple. 

"What is that?" I squeak.

"It's their ship." Takashi says.

"O-ok," I say, my heart rate speeding up and my breaths getting shorter.

"We're going to make it through this together," he says. I nod.

"Ready to rock this thing?" he asks. I nod again. "Boosters to 47%," he says. I type the number forty-seven into the small box next to the word "Boosters." I look up and see a bright purple beam coming right at us and the world goes black.

A/N Sorry for such a short chapter, I have a whole thing planned for the next though ;) -Periwinkle :)


	4. Come Back

I wake up on the ground of a desert. Adam is laying next to me, so I rush to his side. I shake him lightly but he doesn't stir. I shake him a little harder and he still doesn't move.

"Adam," I say. He doesn't budge. I check his pulse. It was barely there. My heart starts to thump and my hands start shaking. I climb into the wrecked ship and press the SOS button, praying it works. I leave the ship and neal down next to Adam. I grab his limp hand and tears rush into the back of my eyes. I squeeze his hand and brush the hair out of his eyes.

"Come on Adam, be strong," I whisper and a tear falls into the sand, making a little hole. I hear the Garrison trucks and wipe the tears from off my face. I look up and see a medical truck and a fighter one. They take out a stretcher and slide Adam's lifeless body onto it. More tears come to my eyes and my friend James leads me to the fighter truck. I climb into the backseat and James slides into the driver's seat.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

"Yeah, I guess," I say.

"He's going to be ok Takashi. We have some of the best doctors here," he says.

I nod and he starts the engine. We are back at the Garrison in no time and I run to the hospital wing.

"Hi I'm here to see Adam Woodford," I say out of breath to the receptionist.

"Right this way," she says, leading me through a long hallway. She stops at room A4 and opens the door. I walk in a cover my mouth in shock.

"I'll leave you alone," she says.

"Thank you," I whisper. She leaves and I immediately go to the bedside. Adam is hooked up to a heart monitor, IV, and an oxygen tank.

"Adam," I whisper, grabbing his hand. Multiple tears fall from my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. I pull a chair from the corner to the bedside. I sit in it and rub circles on the back of his hand. This always comforted him before take-off. I sit there for the rest of the day, asked to leave every two hours for tests.

There is a knock on the door and I open it. James and Skylar are standing there.

"Hey guys," I say.

"How are you holding up?" James asks.

"Ok I guess," I say. Skylar pulls me into a hug.

"Why don't you go get dinner and we'll stay here," James says.

I pull out of the embrace. "It's ok, I'm not that hungry," I say.

"Are you sure?" Skylar asks. I nod my head and grab two chairs. We all sit at the side of the hospital bed in silence. A few hours go by, and we just sit there in silence.

"We're gonna head out," James says. Skylar and James have been dating for a couple months.

"Thanks for coming by," I say standing up.

"No problem," Skylar says. They lace fingers and walk out the door.

I sit back down and grab Adam's hand. "I miss you," I say. "Come on Adam, be strong. Come back to me. Please," I say, knowing he can't hear me. My phone starts vibrating but I ignore it. I stare at Adam's caramel-colored face. I absorb every detail, every crease, every dent. 

My phone buzzes again, and I snap back to reality. I check my watch and realize how late it is. There is a voicemail from no other than my parents. I open it and listen.

"Hi Takashi, just want you to know that we aren't coming to your stupid wedding. And we don't care about you. So, when you realize you aren't a disgrace to this world, call us! Hate you, bye bye!"

I throw my phone on the ground and lean back in my chair. I pull my hair and squeeze my eyes shut. A few tears fall from my eyes and I let them fall. I slowly open my eyes and pick up my phone. Thankfully, I didn't crack it.

"I love you," I whisper and kiss Adam's forehead. Everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours comes rushing through my head. It is so overwhelming it keeps me up all night.

At about six in the morning, I go to the cafeteria to get some coffee. Just the smell of the black liquid makes me think of Adam. How cute his bedhead is, how he needed coffee to function. I smile and take a sip of the caffeinated drink. I walk back to the hospital wing and walk into the small room.

"Good morning," I say, knowing he can't hear. I sigh and sit down in the chair next to the bed. I take another sip of the coffee and grimace. It was so bitter.

"Why do you like this stuff?" I ask the uncomprehending human. For some reason, I drink the coffee again and my face twists.

"Adam this stuff sucks," I say. Here I go again. I need to stop. I dump out the black liquid into the sink and throw out the cup. I sit back down and grab Adam's hand. I kiss his cheek and smile. I rub circles on the back of his hand and feel the limp hand tighten around mine.

"Adam?" I ask. The grip gets tighter and I see his eyes peel open. I press my lips against his and savor the feeling of his lips on mine. I pull away and tears of joy run down my face.

"W-what happened?" he asks.

"Our ship crash landed and you were asleep for a day," I explain.

"Oh. Is everyone ok?" he asks. I snicker.

"What?" he asks.

"I love you," I say. I kiss his forehead and look into his honey-brown eyes. I sit down and tighten my grip on his hand.

"I drank coffee today," I say.

"How did you like it?" Adam asks.

"It was terrible," I say honestly. He laughs. Adam tries to sit up but I end up having to help him.

"Are the aliens still here?" he asks.

"Yes. But, you will be safe here," I say. He nods his head.

"It's going to be ok," I say.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"I'm very sure," I say. Our lips touch and I relax. Just knowing that I could love someone made the disaster that I call my life a little better. Adam pulls out of the kiss and I smile.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you more," I say. "I'm going to get you some breakfast," I say.

He nods and I get up. "I'll be right back," I say.

"I'll be waiting," he says.

I smile and walk to the cafeteria. I get some eggs, bacon, and of course, coffee. I walk back to the room and open the door. I see Adam reading and I laugh.

"Watcha reading?" I ask.

"Divergent," he says.

"How many times have you read that book?" I ask.

"Five," he says.

"Wow. Should I read it?" I ask.

"It's not a question. You need to read it. It's unhealthy not to," he says.

I laugh. "You're adorable," I say. Adam's cheeks turn pink which makes me laugh harder.

"But, one condition," he says.

"And what is this very special condition?" I ask. 

"You have to ship Fourtris or I'm breaking up with you," he says. 

"Woah," I say. 

"I'm sorry. Just in fifth grade I would dream of a perfect relationship like theirs. It was just perfect. And you know what?" he says. 

"What," I say.

"Dreams do come true," he says.

This makes me blush. He kisses me and it's his lips on mine that remind me that I'm not alone. 

Our lips unlock and the most beautiful smile creeps onto Adam's face. 

"I love you so much," I say. 

"I love you more," he says.

The nurse knocks on the door and comes in. "Hi, can I speak with Takashi?" she says. "Um, yeah," I say, getting up.

We walk into the hallway. 

"He is looking better, he should be discharged tomorrow. You'll need to stay home with him though, just to be careful," the nurse says. I nod my head. She walks to another room and I walk back into Adam's.

"What did she say?" he asks. 

"You are going to be discharged tomorrow," I repeat. 

"Oh ok," he says. 

"We're going to get through this," I say. He smiles and I grab his hand. 

"I'm so proud of you," I say. 

"Why?" he asks.

"Adam, you had to face one of your worst fears. Then you almost die, and now here you are," I say.

"I didn't save anyone though," he says.

"You can stop being modest for two minutes," I say. He laughs and I kiss his cheek. My phone vibrates and I check it. It's from my parents.

It reads: "Hi Takashi, just wanted to see how your gay is going. Good? Good. Well, just call when you're straight so we can be proud of you. Bye bye!"

I roll my eyes and put it back in my back pocket.

"What's wrong?" Adam asks.

"It's my parents," I say.

"You can't let what they say get to your head," he says.

"I try. But they're my parents, I want them to be proud of me, not think I'm a failure," I say. 

"Takashi, you're the best pilot, like, ever. They have so much to be proud of. If they can't accept you for you, to hell with them. I'm proud of you," he says.

"I love you so much," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. Adam pulls me into an embrace and I feel a warm tear fall down my face. We pull back from the hug and Adam wipes the tear from my cheek with his thumb.

"Give me your phone," he says.

"Ok," I say, a little skeptical.

"Here," he says, giving it back to me. 

"What did you do?" I ask. 

"I blocked your parents," he says. My jaw falls open and I start laughing. 

"You are an evil genius," I say. 

"Now you will be homophobe free forever," he says triumphantly. 

"You are so cute," I say. A huge smile appears on Adam's face which makes me feel comforted, like everything really is going to be ok.


	5. Listen.

Boom. I watch the red and yellow sparks fly into the air. Takashi is dead. The love of my life is gone. I fall to my knees and break down. Usually I feel a hand on my back to comfort me, but no one was there. I was alone. It'll be like this forever, won't it. I won't be able to love again.

My eyes pop open and I feel cold sweat dripping down my face. My breath is heavy and I sit up. I scan the room and see Takashi sleeping next to the bed. I let out a sigh of relief and lay back down. It takes me a little while to fall asleep, but eventually I do.

I wake up and see Takashi with a coffee mug in his hand.

"Good morning," he says.

"Good morning," I say. He hands me the coffee mug and I take a sip. 

"You're amazing," I say. He smiles and kisses my forehead. 

The nurse comes in. "Alright you are free to go whenever you want," she says. 

"Thank you," I say.

She nods her head and walks out.

"When do you want to leave?" Takashi asks. 

"Now," I say. He laughs and helps me out of the bed. He hands me a change of clothes and I go into the bathroom to change. I slip on the t-shirt and jeans and walk back out.

"Ready?" he asks. I nod and grab his hand. We walk back to the apartment and Takashi gets a phone call.

"Iverson wants to see me," he says.

"Ok," I say.

"I'll be right back," he says. I nod my head as he walks out the door. My heart starts pounding. Why would Iverson want to see him? Did he do something wrong? No, Takashi wouldn't do that. My thoughts spiral for fifteen minutes until the door opens.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Iverson wants me to fight, Sanda doesn't," he says.

"Maybe you shouldn't fight," I say.

"Don't start this again, Adam," he pleads.

"We almost died, Takashi," I say.

"I know," he whispers. 

"It's just, don't go. Please," I say, walking to the kitchen.

"Adam, you don't have to protect me your whole life," he says. 

The memories burn in the back of my head. My brain is screaming to forget. I rub my temples to try and calm myself down. 

"Why can't I go?" he asks. I don't respond. 

"Why?" he asks again.

"It's over Adam," I say to myself. "Just forget it," I say to myself. Except I can't. I squeeze my eyes shut because my head screams with pain. 

Takashi pulls my arm from my head and my eyes shoot open.

I run to the bathroom and lock myself in there. Tears start running down my face and I can't stop them.

"Adam I'm sorry," Takashi says. "Can you just tell me what's going on. Please," he says.

I think about it for a while and I decide to tell him. He's going to find out sooner or later. I open the door and see Takashi sitting in the corner biting his nails. He does that when he's nervous.

"My dad was an astronaut," I say, forcing tears back. "When I was five, I came to watch one of his launches. The mission failed at liftoff." I say. A look of worry comes onto Takashi's face. "I watched the ship explode. I watched him die," I say, tears running down my face. "I never had friends in school. I was too scared to lose them," I say. 

Takashi comes and engulfs me in a hug.

"I'm so sorry," he says.

"It's ok. You didn't know. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner," I say.

"Don't apologize. I know how hard it can be to talk about it," he says.

"I just can't watch you throw your life away," I say.

"I won't go. I promise," he says.

"Thank you," I say. Tears keep rolling down my face and I remember when I couldn't let someone borrow a pencil. When kids would call me a freak. When I looked out the window and saw the launchpad. How I would run to the bathroom crying. My mom stopped talking to me when I came here. She didn't want me to go. She was too scared to let someone go.

"Are you going to be ok?" Takashi asks. I nod my head and look at him. There is a sorrowsome look painted on his face.

"What do you want to do?" he asks.

"Skincare," I say. 

"No. You are not putting that crap on my face," he says. I pout and he rolls his eyes. 

"Fine," he says. I grab his hand and pull him into the bathroom. I open a drawer and grab all of my skincare.

"How did I not know about this stuff?" he asks. 

"I have my ways," I say. I laugh and I grab a face mask.

"What is that?" he asks.

"A face mask," I respond.

"What the hell," he says. 

"Trust me," I say. 

"Ok," he says. I put it on his face and he starts coughing.

"What happened?" I ask.

"I'm fine, it's just a little strong," I say. I nod and set a timer for twenty minutes. 

"What now?" he asks.

"You wait twenty minutes. But, we can watch 13 reasons why," I say. He smiles and I fix the mask which makes him laugh harder. 

"Stop you're gonna mess it up even more," I scold. 

He grabs my shirt and pulls me to him. Next thing I know, my hands are running through his hair and my lips are on his. His arms are wrapped around my hips. I pull back to try and catch my breath. Our foreheads touch and I throw the face mask on the floor.

"My parents are going to kill me," he whispers. 

"They'll have to kill me first," I whisper.

"I love you so much," he says.

"I love you more," I say. Our lips interlock one more time before the timer on my phone goes off. I turn it off.

"My hair is a mess," I say, looking at myself in the mirror. Takashi ruffles my hair so it looks even messier.

"I hate you," I say in a loving tone.

"I love you too," he says. I kiss his forehead and grab his hand. I drag him to the couch and turn on Netflix. 

"Ok who's cuter: Justin or Tony?" I ask.

"Justin all the way," he says.

"Yeah, can't argue," I say.

"You're cuter," he says.

I kiss the tip of his nose and he rubs it.

"What did you put on your lips?" he asks. 

"Cherry chapstick," I say. 

He laughs. "Ok Courtney needs to come out," he says.

"This is a good show and all we talk about is the gay stuff," I say.

"We have a gaydar," he says.

I laugh and put my head on his shoulder. Takashi wraps his arms around my shoulders and I relax a little bit.

"I missed you," I say.

"I missed you so much more," he says. 

"I don't think that's possible," I say.

"I like to do the impossible," he says.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you more," he says, kissing my scalp. The episode ends and I check the time. 

"I'm going to go to bed," I say. 

"Me too," Takashi says. Our pinkis lock as we walk to the bedroom. I grab my pajamas and go to the bathroom. I slip them on and go back into the bedroom. Takashi is laying in bed laughing hysterically. 

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"Twitter never gets old," he says. I laugh and slide into bed with him. I put my head on his chest and try to relax. 

"If you could invent anything, what would it be?" Takashi asks.

"Coffee oreos," I say. 

"Really? I would probably make cake that is good for you," he says. 

"I mean coffee and oreos," I say. 

"Ok, here's a question. If you could order anything at your favorite coffee shop, what would it be?" Takashi asks. 

"A latté," I say. 

"Really?" he asks. 

"Yep. I mean I would already put cream in my coffee, but there's a heart on top, so," I say. 

"You're so cute," he says. I blush and he kisses my cheek. 

"What is your opinion on cats?" I ask. 

"They're cute but I prefer dogs. Why?" he says. 

"When I was little I always wanted a cat, but my mom was allergic." I say. 

"Really," Takashi says. 

"I wanted an orange tabby cat named Fred," I say. 

"Do you want to get a cat?" he asks. 

"Kinda," I say. 

"Yeah? We can stop by the shelter tomorrow," he says. 

"Ok," I say beaming. 

"Why Fred?" he asks. 

"I don't know, I always liked the name Fred," I say. 

"Ok," he says. I listen to the rhythm of Takashi's heart and slowly fall asleep.

I wake up to an empty bed. "Takashi," I say. No answer. "Takashi," I say slightly louder. Still no answer. I sit up and scan the room. I find a note saying that he went to the grocery store. I relax and pick up my phone. There's a text from my sister saying to call her. I call her phone and she picks up. 

"Hey Adam," she says. 

"Hey Scarlett," I say. 

"Dude what's wrong?" she asks. 

"Nothing, I just woke up," I say. 

"Oh, did you hear the big news?" she asks. 

"No," I say. 

"Mom's getting married! Didn't you get the invite? It's to that Stephen dude," she says. 

I hang up and lay on my back. My mom didn't invite me to her wedding. I lay there in disbelief. 

"Adam I'm home," Takashi yells. I try to form words but nothing comes out. 

"Adam?" he says. He walks into the bedroom and sees me. "Are you ok?" Takashi asks, a worried tone in his voice. 

"Yeah," I mutter. 

"What happened?" he asks. 

"Nothing," I say. 

"Come on, you can tell me anything," Takashi says, sitting down on the bed.

"Seriously, I'm fine," I lie.

"No you're not. You didn't have coffee and you're a really bad liar," he says.

"Fine. My mom is getting married," I say.

"I'm sorry," he says sympathetically.

"And I wasn't invited. My sister told me," I say. 

"Addie, I'm sorry," he says grabbing my hand.

"I just, I thought she forgave me," I confess.

"I know," he says, rubbing the back of my hand.

"I think I have something that will cheer you up," he says, dragging me out of the bed. He hands me a cup. 

"What is this?" I ask.

"Trust me," he says. I take a sip and my tastebuds recognize the smooth liquid. It was a latté from my favorite coffee shop. 

"I love you so much," I say. He kisses me and it makes my body fill up with warmth. 

"Wait there's something else," he says. He pulls out a pack of Oreos and I kiss him. 

"You're awesome," I say.

"I try," he says. I laugh and turn on the radio. I grab his hand and pull him into the living room. Takashi wraps his arms around my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Why doesn't the Garrison have prom?" I ask. 

"I don't know. We missed a lot of stuff I guess," he says.

"Let's make up for it," I say.

"What?" he asks.

"We can have our own prom. Like we can decorate the apartment. I'll make punch," I say. 

"Ok," he says. I press my lips against his and relax. It's crazy how someone can change your whole day just by being there. I smile and our foreheads touch. We just sway back and forth to the music, enjoying each other's company.

"I never want to lose you," I say. 

"You never will," he says. Our lips touch again and I savor every moment. I memorize every crease and crack of his lips. 

"I love you so much," I whisper. 

"I love you more," he responds. 

"I don't think you can," I say.  
Takashi smiles and a tear falls from his eye. I wipe it with my thumb as a tear falls from my eye. More tears start falling from both of our eyes and I pull Takashi closer to me. I realize I don't need my mom or Stephen. I have my family right here.

I pull Takashi towards me and put my head on his shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks. 

"How much I love you," I say.

"I love you more," he says. I peck his lips and look into his gray eyes. I could get lost in them.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Takashi asks.

"Ok," I say. He throws me on the couch which makes me laugh. I haven't laughed in the longest time, so it felt like a breath of fresh air. Takashi starts tickling me which makes me laugh even harder. 

"Takashi stop it," I say. I start coughing because I'm laughing so hard. He finally stops and I catch my breath.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he asks.

"Hairspray," I say.

"What is with you and movies that go with musicals?" he asks.

"Hey I grew up on broadway music," I say.

"Whatever you say," Takashi says, sitting next to me. It hit me that I was in the hospital this morning, and I become exhausted. My breath slows down and before I know it, I'm asleep. 

I wake up with my glasses crooked on my nose. A blanket is draped over me and Takashi is asleep next to me. I slowly get up trying not to wake Takashi. I go to the coffee machine and we are out of coffee grounds. I scribble on a piece of paper that I'm getting more coffee so Takashi doesn't worry. 

I leave the apartment and walk out the glass double doors. I see James walking. 

"Hey James," I say, trying to get his attention. He starts walking toward me. He throws me against a wall and I start to panic. 

"Get away from me," I say. He grabs my wrists and pins me to the wall. I try to twist out of his grip, which makes him tighten his grip. He lets go of one of my hands, but I can't move it. James pulls out a knife and drags it across my forehead. The new wound stings as blood drips down my face. He makes another gash on my temple, and another on my cheek. I try to fight back, but I don't have the strength. He slides my glasses off my face so the whole world is one big blur. I can hear the sound of the knife dropping on the ground, and I think for a split second that he would let me go. James punches me square in the face and lets go of my wrist. I collapse under my own weight as James picks up the knife. He makes a cut across my stomach which makes me feel dizzy. 

"You're a coward," he whispers in my ear as he walks away. The world starts to turn as I feel my consciousness leave me. I'm sorry Takashi.

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for breaking your heart if I did. I barely got through writing it, let alone editing it. See you guys soon! -Hope :)


	6. Miracles Do Happen

It's been an hour and Adam isn't home. I have to do something. I grab the keys and leave the apartment. I walk out the double doors and my stomach turns into a knot. A body was laying in the middle of the floor. I start running towards the body and I recognize it. Adam. There was a huge gash running across his stomach. There are three cuts on his face, one on his forehead, one on his temple, and one on his cheek. He has a black eye and his glasses are shattered. I shake him, trying to wake him up. 

"Adam," I say. His eyes peel open slowly and I relax a little. 

"We have to get to the hospital," I say, a sense of panic in my voice.

"Please don't take me there," he whispers. 

"We have to," I say. 

"I don't want to go back there. We have stuff in the apartment," he whispers. 

"Fine," I say. I scoop him up and run back to the apartment. I lay him on the couch and grab the first-aid kit. "Who did this to you?" I ask.

"J-james," he mutters. The name floats around in the air for a while. James? The one who visited Adam in the hospital? Why? 

"I'm gonna kill him," I say. 

"Please don't," he says. 

"Can I tell Iverson?" I ask. 

"No. I'm fine," he says. 

"Adam, you're not fine," I say. 

"Yes, I am," he says. 

"I'm not arguing with you," I say. He laughs and starts to cough. I get out the alcohol pads. I clean the wound on his stomach. Adam winces. 

"Takashi that stings," he says. 

"It would hurt worse if it was infected," I say. He knows I'm right so he doesn't respond

"Can you see anything?" I ask. 

"Nope," he says. I laugh and put a bandage over the wound.

"I'm so proud of you," I say.

"My fiancé is proud of me for getting beat up," he says. I laugh and shake my head. 

"No, do you know how strong you have to be to survive that? Most people barely survive a gash to the stomach,"

I say. I kiss each one of his cuts and then his lips. I didn't even notice that he busted his lip. I clean the rest of his wounds and put bandages on them.

"Are you hungry?" I ask. 

"I'm not eating your cooking," he says. I roll my eyes.

"No, I'm not that hungry," he says. 

"Ok," I say, getting him water and Tylenol. I see him trying to get up. 

"Ok, these are the things you need help with," I say putting down the medication and water to help him. 

"I can do it," he says. I help him get up and hand him the water. 

"Thank you," he says. 

"You know what I'm good at cooking?" I ask.

"Air," he says.

"Grilled cheese," I say. He laughs.

"What?" I ask. 

"The last time you made grilled cheese you almost burnt the apartment down," he says. 

"That was one time!" I say. 

"Ok so microwaving the aluminum foil doesn't count?" he asks. 

"No," I say.

"Why?" Adam asks. 

"Because I almost burnt the Garrison down," I say. He laughs and then winces.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Nothing, I guess the cut is deeper than I thought," he says. 

"Ok," I say, relieved.

"I've never seen you this worried like, ever," he says.

"Oh no," I say.

"What?" he asks, worriedly.

"I'm turning into you," I say.

He slaps me playfully on the arm. "You scared me!" he says. 

"I've known you for way too long, I know what scares you," I say. He starts laughing and then grabs his stomach and winces. 

"What's wrong?" I ask frantically.

"Gotcha," he says triumphantly.

I punch his arm playfully and roll my eyes.

"That one wasn't funny," I say, which makes him laugh. 

"Adam, we have to tell Iverson what happened," I say.

"No, I don't want any drama," he argues.

"We have to. He needs to be arrested!" I say. 

"Fine," Adam says.

"Can you walk?" I ask.

"I'll try," he says. 

"Wait. Do you have another pair of glasses?" I ask. He nods.

"Where are they?" I ask. "In the second drawer of the bathroom sink," he says. I walk to the bathroom and find the glasses.

"Adam, these are the same frames," I say. 

"They're the only ones I like," he says. I laugh and walk back into the living room. I hand him the glasses and he puts them on. I grab his hand and help him stand up. 

"Are you ok?" I ask. He nods and takes a small step. I put my other hand on his back to steady him. We slowly walk to Iverson's office. I knock on the door.

"Come in," a harsh voice says. I open the door and Iverson looks confused.

"What happened to you?" he asks. "Do you want to explain?" I whisper in Adam's ear. He nods.

"Have a seat," he says.

I help Adam sit down and I sit in the second chair. "So I was going to get groceries. I saw James, so I said hi. He threw me against the wall and took out a knife and cut my forehead, cheek, temple, and stomach. Then he punched me and ran away," he says.

I didn't hear the full story, so I had to fight back tears. I wanted to grab Adam's hand, but Iverson is homophobic.

"Ok, um, I'm very sorry. I will have a talk with James and we will figure out what to do from there," he says.

"Thank you," Adam says.

"Thank you for telling me," Iverson says. I nod my head and help Adam get up.

"Thank you sir," I say. Iverson nods and we walk out of the office.

"Do you feel better now?" I ask.

"No. I feel worse," he says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because he's going to hate me more and beat me up again," he says.

"I won't let that happen," I say. I kiss his cheek and open the door to the apartment. I help him sit down on the couch.

"I'm going to go get lunch because you refuse to eat my cooking," I say.

"Where are you going?" Adam asks.

"Just to the cafeteria. I'll lock the door so nothing happens." I say.

"Ok," Adam says. I kiss him and then walk out the door. I lock it behind me so no one can get in. I walk to the cafeteria and get in line. My phone starts ringing. Adam was calling. 

"Hi sweetie," I say. 

"Come back," he says. 

"What's wrong?" I ask. 

"I'll explain later. Just come back. Please," he says. 

"Ok, on my way," I say. He hangs up and I start running back to the apartment. Something must be really wrong because Adam never sounds so worried on the phone. I get back to the apartment and unlock the door.

"What's wrong?" I ask. 

Then I hear Iverson's harsh voice. "We are under attack. Go into lock down immediately. All officers report to my office," he says. I run to the couch, pick Adam up, and run into the closet. I learned in all my years of training that the closet was the safest place to hide.

"Aren't you going to go?" he asks.

"No. You can't be alone." I say.

"Takashi, I'm fine. You're going to lose your job," he says.

"Iverson will understand. You're more important than anything in this universe," I say. 

"I love you," he whispers. 

"I love you more," I say. I pull him in closer so his head is buried in my chest. I feel a drop of water touch my shirt. 

"What's wrong?" I ask. Adam leans back and looks at me. 

"There's one thing I didn't tell you. He called me a coward. That hurt worse than any of the cuts. Society says that you should ignore the things people say about you, but what if you can't. What if it eats away at you everytime you look in the mirror. What if everytime you see yourself, you can practically see the word coward written across your forehead in permanent marker. What if you can't ignore it," he says. More and more tears start to roll down his face. I pull him into me and kiss his scalp.

"You are not a coward. You are the exact opposite. Look at all the crap you have been through. And here you are. You almost died. You had to see the worst thing anyone can see. You had to be bullied. But look at you now. You are the bravest, strongest person I've ever met. You put other people before yourself, and it doesn't matter how much you're hurting inside. Do you know how amazing that is? Do you know how much courage that takes? You're amazing, Adam. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." 

Adam looks up at me with tears running down his face. He presses his lips against mine. I savor the honey-taste of his lips. I feel his arms wrap around my neck. I wrap my arms around his waist and then the war starts. I hear gunshots and explosions. Adam's arms drop from around my neck and I grab his hands.

"It's going to be ok," I say. 

"Ok," I hear him say under his breath. There's a loud bang and Adam squeezes my hand. Someone pounds on the door. Since me or Adam didn't answer it, a purple soldier breaks in. 

"I'm going to go take care of him," I say.

"Takashi, no, please," Adam begs.

"I'll be ok," I reassure him. I get up and go out into the living room. I try to punch it but it ducks. The purple creature digs a sword through my right side and I collapse from the pain. The alien leaves and I see Adam crawling over to me. 

"I'm fine," I say. 

"No, you're not. I'm going to go get the first aid kit," he says. 

"No, Adam, I'm fine. You can barely walk," I say. A rush of pain goes through my body and I bite my lip to stop myself from screaming. 

"Stay here," Adam says. "Where are you going?" I ask. 

"I'm going to get some bandages," he says. I watch him struggle to get up.

"Adam, stop torturing yourself," I say. He manages to pull himself up with the couch. He grabs the counter and starts shuffling to the bathroom. He comes out with bandages and drops to my side. 

"Adam, It's," I start, but Adam puts his finger to my lips. He does something that makes the cut sting.

"Adam, that stings," I say. 

"It would sting worse if it was infected," he says. I laugh as he puts a bandage over the wound. 

"Thank you," I say. 

"It's the least I can do," he says. I push myself up and lean against the back of the couch.

"Who knew those aliens put something on their swords that made the gashes hurt like hell," I say.

"How bad is it?" he asks.

"I'm not going to lie, really bad," I say. Every twenty seconds it feels like someone is stabbing me.

"We should get it checked out," Adam says. 

"When this is over," I say.

"Ok," he says. I pull myself up and help Adam up.

"Do you want to try walking?" I ask. He nods his head. He starts to shuffle, but eventually starts taking steps. A huge smile creeps onto his face and I kiss his cheek. I pick him up bridal style and walk to the closet. I open the door and put him down.

"Oh I remember this place, I was hiding in here for three years!" Adam says. I laugh and kiss his forehead. Adam pulls something from out of the corner.

"What is that?" I ask.

"A book," he says.

"How?" I ask.

"I keep a book in every room of the apartment. I keep the Hunger Games trilogy in here, the Twilight saga in the bedroom, The Harry Potter series in the living room, the Divergent trilogy and Four in the kitchen, and the Land of Stories in the bathroom," he explains. 

"Wow," I say. 

"Now that I said that out loud, I realize why I had no friends," he says.

"I think it's cute," I say.

"Really?" he asks. I nod. 

"Oh, in my classroom, I have a huge white bookshelf. On the first shelf, all of my favorite books. The second shelf has a bunch of astrophysics books. On the third shelf, the text books. There are four cubbies with pencils, tape, all the crap the kids need. But the fourth one is off limits. Do you know why?" he asks. 

"Why," I say.

"Because that's where I keep pictures of me and you," he says. 

"That's so sweet," I say. He kisses the tip of my nose. 

"Oh I have a story," Adam says. 

"Tell me," I say. 

"Ok. So I keep my favorite picture of us on my desk. It's angled so that the students can't see it unless they come behind my desk. The loudest girl in all my classes came behind my desk. She saw the picture and said 'You're gay?' Then I had to tell my fifth period that I am, indeed gay." 

"Oh my god, how did you do that?" I ask. He pulls out a piece of paper. It said "I love you," on it. 

"Do you know who wrote that? You." he says. "I slip it in my pocket everyday," he says. 

"Really?" I ask. "Yeah. When I was in school, I used to write notes to myself and use them as a bookmark. It was usually a quote I liked. I always had a book in my hand, so when someone pushed me into a wall, I would read a note. It made me feel a little better." he says.

"Could you tell me one?" I ask. He pulls out a folded up piece of paper from the back of the book. 

"Here," he says, handing me the piece of paper. I open it and there are at least ten quotes written in Adam's handwriting. One catches my eye.

"It's ok to be a glowstick. Sometimes we break before we shine."

I show him the quote.

"This one reminds me of you," I say.

"That one is my favorite," he says. He smiles and I can't help but smile too. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. 

"Do you want to read this with me?" he asks. 

"Ok," I say. We end up reading half the book. 

"Who knew books were this good?" I ask. 

Adam points to himself. I laugh. 

"Ok, this is a very important question. Team Peeta or Gale?" he asks. 

"Peeta," I say. Adam lets out a sigh of relief. He leans his head on my shoulder and I grab his hand. 

"I just want the world to be normal again," Adam says. 

"Me too," I say. 

"Remember the time Iverson saw us kissing," Adam says.

I laugh. "That day was awesome," I say. 

"It really was," he says. He kisses my cheek and I smile. Another gunshot fires and Adam winces. 

"You're safe. It's ok," I say. He nods and looks around. 

"Adam, you're going to be fine," I say.

"Sorry, I'm just really paranoid," he says. 

Iverson comes on the PA system. "Attention. The Galra have retreated for now, but we want everyone to stay in their dorms for the next twenty-four hours. You can still walk around your dorms, just don't leave them," Iverson says.

"Come on," I say, getting up.

"Where are you going?" he asks. 

"You need to go to bed," I say. I grab Adam's hand and help him stand up. I help him walk to the bed and he lays down. I lay down next to him. Adam's breath slows down and soon enough he is asleep. I watch his chest rise up and down for a while before I fall asleep myself.

I hear a loud noise coming from outside the window. The Galra must be back. I plant four kisses on the top of Adam's head to wake him up. 

"Takashi it's early," he moans. 

"It's nine," I say.

"Yeah, early," he says. I laugh and he gives me a look. 

"I may sleep like a teenager, but you will just have to accept that," he says, which makes me laugh more. 

"Sorry, sorry. The Galra are back," I say. He sits up with a worried look painted on his face. 

"I thought they retreated," he says. 

"I guess they're here to win," I say. I get out of bed and pick him up. I walk to the closet and put him down. I close the door and sit next to Adam. 

My phone starts ringing so I take it out of the corner of the closet. I guess I left it there last night. 

"Who is it?" Adam asks. 

"My parents. I'll handle it," I say, picking up the phone. I put it on speaker. 

"Hi," I say.

"Oh, hello Takashi," my mom says. 

"Hi mom," I say. 

"Oh now who's with you?" she asks. 

"Adam," I say. 

"Who's Adam?" she asks. 

"Um, my fiancé," I say.

"Oh. Hi person I probably won't like," she says. 

"Sorry," I mouth to Adam. He shrugs it off. 

"Now, Takashi, can you come to the house for the weekend?" she asks. 

"Um, why?" I ask. 

"There is this girl I would like you to meet," she says. 

"Mom, hi, I'm gay. Bye," I say and hang up. 

"I'm so sorry," I say. 

"It's fine. Homophobic parents are the best," he says. I laugh and kiss him. 

"Did you put something on your lips?" I ask. 

"My chapstick," he says.

"You're adorable," I say. 

"It's cherry chapstick," he says.

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. I see red and yellow sparks fly into the blue sky as a humongous purple ship appears. 

"Takashi," Adam says, his voice shaking. 

"It's ok, it's going to be ok," I say. I grab his hands which are shaking. Violet lasers start hitting the Garrison building. I can hear the ceiling fall in the bedroom. Adam's hands start shaking more. 

"Look at me," I say. His eyes lock with mine. 

"We're going to be ok. There are troops in the sky protecting us.

We're going to be fine," I say, trying to comfort him. He starts tapping his foot, which means he's nervous.

"I'm right here," I say. I kiss both of his hands and a small smile creeps onto his face. 

"You're amazing," he says, making me smile. He kisses my cheek and squeezes my hand a little harder. Another piece of the ceiling falls down and Adam winces. I grab some spare pillows from one of the shelves and put them on the ground. 

"Lay down," I say. He obeys and lays on the pillows. I lay down next to him and pull his body close to mine. "Close your eyes, and relax." I say. When I was really stressed this is what I would do to calm myself down. "Everything wrong in this world is gone. No Galra, no homophobes, no ridiculous parents. Just focus on the things that make you happy," I say. I let a few minutes go by to let Adam's mind ponder. I kiss his cheek. "Do you feel better now?" I ask. 

"A little bit," he says.

"Good," I say. Adam rolls over so we are face to face. 

"I love you so much," he says. 

"I love you to Kerberos and back," I say. Our lips touch and I immediately relax. There was something about being with Adam that made me feel like everything was going to be ok. An explosion goes off in the distance and Adam squeezes his eyes shut.

"It's ok," I say, grabbing his hands. Adam buries his head in my shoulder."Go to that little place in your brain. The one that makes you happy. The one that makes you laugh. The one that puts that big beautiful smile on your face. And stay there," I say. 

He looks up at me and I can see the twinkle in his eye again. "Thank you," he whispers.

"For what?" I ask.

"I'm this living wreck and you still love me," he says. 

"You're not a wreck. And I will always love you, no matter what," I say. A tear falls from his eye and he smiles.

"I love you," he says. 

"I love you more," I say. He wraps his arms around my neck and I wrap my arms around his waist. I kiss his forehead and he kisses my cheek. 

"I'm sorry I left," I whisper. 

"Don't be," he whispers. 

"I really am. You mean more to me than anything," I whisper.

"I'm sorry for being so selfish. I know how much your career means to you. I was an idiot," he says.

"Then I guess we are two idiots in love," I whisper. He smiles and I kiss him. A tile in the ceiling falls down two feet from us. I scoop Adam up and run into the living room. I put him down on the couch and sit next to him. I grab Adam's hand and squeeze it. I can see the sun setting from the bedroom window. I yawn and wrap my arm around his shoulders.

"You're so cheesy," he says.

"Shut up and let me be romantic," I say.

"Not to spoil your fun, but it's hard to be romantic with purple aliens attacking us," he says. I kiss his cheek and he blushes.

"You still blush?" I ask.

"Yes, now leave me alone," he says, blushing more.

"I think it's cute," I say.

"Really?" Adam asks.

"I think you're cute," I say.

"You're cuter," he says, which makes me blush a little bit.

"I did it. I made Takashi Shirogane blush. I rule the world," he says.

"I make you blush everyday, so I should rule your little world," I say.

"Then you're going to have to rule yourself," he says.

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says.

I kiss his cheek and he smiles.

"Ok, I'm going to make you a bet. Friends should be on right now. Five dollars says I can name the episode by the first commercial break," he says.

"You're on," I say, turning on the TV. We watch the first two minutes and Adam's face lights up.

"Oh, The one where Ross can't flirt," he says. 

"Ok Mr. Friends mega fan," I say, checking the name of the episode. "How," I say.

"I've watched friends ten times," he says triumphantly.

"What makes friends so good that you rewatch it ten times?" I ask. 

"Ok. Don't judge me," he says.

"I promise," I say. 

"In fourth grade, when I would get bullied, which was everyday, I would come home, do my homework, and watch Friends. My mom was at work and my sister was locked in her room. It was the only thing that made me laugh all day, and it felt good," he says.

"Adam, that's really sweet," I say.

"I'm insecure about it," he says.

"Why?" I ask. 

"I don't know, just that people twenty years older than me made me feel good," he says.

"Age is just a number," I say. He pecks my lips and I smile. The ceiling shakes and Adam scoots closer to me.

"I swear if you stupid purple aliens don't go away," Adam yells at the ceiling.

"Oh my god, you scared them away," I say, a tone of fake surprise in my voice.

"Shut up," he says.

"Make me," I say. Adam presses his lips to mine and starts running his fingers through my hair. I wrap my arms around his neck.

"You can shut me up real good," I say. He kisses me one more time and pulls away.

"I'm good at that, but I stand as much as a chance and Ross in the flirting department," he says.

"Well I'm sitting here right now," I say.

"I asked you out on a date, that's not flirting," he says.

"True, just try a pick up line," I say.

"Never," he says.

"Please," I beg.

"You'll break up with me," he says.

"I promise I won't break up with you," I say. 

"Only if I get to paint your nails," he says.

"Ok that's really gay," I say.

"Like me," he says.

"Fine you can paint my nails," I say.

"Ok. Ok. Don't judge me," he says.

"I promise," I say.

"Ok. Um, I looked this up on the internet in middle school, so don't judge me," he says. 

"Addie, just do it. I won't laugh," I say. "Ok. You're pretty, and I'm hot, so together we could make pretty hot," he says.

I nod my head.

"Pretty solid," I say.

"No, no, I suck," Adam says, burying his head in his hands.

"You don't suck," I say.

"Just say it," he says. "I'm not because I'd be lying," I say.

"Ugh. Now I get to paint your nails," he says. 

"Can you do clear poilsh?" I ask.

"No way," he says.

"What color are you using?" I ask.

"Black," he says, getting up.

"Fine. Paint my nails black. But I get to take it off tomorrow," I say.

"Tomorrow night," he says, going to the bathroom.

"Fine," I say. Adam comes out with a tiny bottle of black nail poilsh.

"If I'm more gay after this I blame you," I say. He laughs and sits on the couch. He opens the bottle and grabs my hand.

"Why are you so good at this?" I ask.

"My sister used to make me paint her nails all the time," he says.

"You must have been a really good brother," I say.

"I took art so it was kind of the same," he says. 

He paints a couple more of my nails before the intercom interrupts us.

"We have defeated the Galra empire," Iverson's scratchy voice says. A huge smile appears on Adam's face, and one on mine too.

"We won," he says giddily. I press my lips to his and soak in every second of the kiss. He pulls back and smears the polish on my cheek. My mouth drops open dramatically and I wipe the wet nail poilsh off my nails and onto his forehead.

"Is that all you got Shirogane?" he asks, running to the bathroom.

"What are you getting?" I ask, chasing after him. Adam pulls out a tube and takes the lid off. 

"Where did you get lipstick from?" I ask.

"It's my sister's. She left it here," he says, running it across my forehead. I grab the lipstick and put it on my lips. I plant kisses all over his face which makes him blush. Adam puts it on his lips and gets the lipstick on mine. 

"I love you," he says.

"I love you more," I say. He smiles which makes me blush a little. 

"Can you help me get this crap off my face?" I ask.

"Of course," he says, kissing my cheek. Adam drags me into the bathroom and gets out a bunch of bottles. He grabs a rag and puts some liquid on it.

"What is that?" I ask.

"Facial toner," he says. 

"What is facial toner?" I ask.

"Just trust me," he says, running the towel across my face.

"Is it bad that my face is burning a little?" I ask. 

"That means it's working," Adam says. He finishes wiping the lipstick and nail poilsh off my face, and I get all of it off of his. Adam grabs my wrist and pulls me into the living room. I sit on the couch as he pops a CD into the video player. Big bold letters that read "Grease" appear on the screen.

"Again?" I ask. 

"This is one of the most iconic movies ever, and you will have to listen to me sing," he says, sitting next to me. 

"You're lucky I love you," I say. An hour goes by of old cars, Adam's terrible singing, and girls in tight black clothes. The final song starts to play and Adam immediately jumps off the couch.

"Dance with me," he says.

"No," I say.

"Please," he begs.

"Nope," I say.

"Do you love me?" he asks.

"Of course I do," I say.

"Then you'll dance with me," he says.

I sigh and mutter "Fine," He smiles and grabs my hand. I stand up and Adam grabs my other hand.

"What do I do now?" I ask.

"Just move," he says. He starts to move his arms back and forth so I copy him.

"There you go," he says. I start to move my feet too.

"You're the one that I want, you are the one I want," Adam sings.

"You oh oh honey," I say. The look on Adam's face was priceless. I would do anything to see his face so lit up. So this is what it feels like to be in love.


	7. Takashi Still Can’t Cook

I wake up to Takashi's lips on mine.

"Good morning," I say.

"Guess what you have to do today," he says.

"Teach," I groan. I drag myself out of bed and into the kitchen. I start the coffee machine and Takashi walks in.

"What are you doing today?" I ask.

"Looking at documents to try and determine who should be a cadet next year," he says. 

"Fun," I say.

"I'm dreading it," he says.

"I have no idea what to do. I didn't make a lesson plan," I say.

"Well, it's almost the end of the year, maybe ask them what the favorite thing they learned was," Takashi says.

"That is not a bad idea. Thank you," I say, pecking his lips.

"No problem," he says smiling. I grab the coffee mug and take a sip.

"I'm going to need three more of these to stay awake," I say.

Takashi laughs and I kiss his cheek.

"I'm going to get dressed," I say.

"Ok," he says. I walk into the bedroom and put on my Garrison uniform and grab my bag. I go back to the kitchen where Takashi is looking at a magazine.

"I'm off to go teach some hormonal teenagers," I say.

"I love you," he says, kissing me.

"I love you more," I say as I walk out the door.

I walk to the classrooms and unlock mine. I put my bag next to my desk and take out my laptop. I finally think of an assignment right as the kids are walking through the door. When everyone is seated I get up in front of the classroom.

"Who likes writing prompts?" I ask. No one raises their hand.

"That's what I thought. Who likes creative writing?" I ask. Half of the class raises their hands. "Ok. This week, your assignment is to write an essay," I say. The whole class groans. "But, there is no prompt. Just incorporate what the favorite thing you learned in this class was," I say.

There is no response at first. Slowly, one by one, the students start to smile. "Get to work," I say. Everyone starts pulling out their laptops and I start to hear keys clicking. Everyone in my first few periods seemed pretty excited. The lunch bell rang and I got an email saying I had to read the new Garrison student code of conduct. I sigh and open the document.

"Knock knock," a familiar voice says.

"Hi," I say.

"Hi," Takashi says, kissing me.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"The Garrison updated the code of conduct and I have to read it," I say.

"Why? Just say I accept," he says.

"Because if the students violate it then I have to report it and all the drama," I say.

"They're also going to have us patrol the grounds," he says.

"Are you serious?" I ask.

"Yep. I'll make sure our shifts are at the same time," he says.

"Ok," I say, smiling.

"Come to the teacher's lounge with me," Takashi says.

"I have to read this," I say.

"Come on. I danced with you. You can eat lunch with me," he says.

"Fine," I say, getting up.

"Thank you," he says, going to kiss my cheek, but I turn my head so it lands on my lips. 

"Thank you for that," I say.

"You're adorable," he says. We walk out of the classroom and turn the corner. No one is supposed to publicly show affection at the Garrison, especially during school hours. A lot of older students break this rule, but all the teachers really don't care. I most certainly don't, I really wanted to grab Takashi's hand. I look down the hallways and see no one.

"No one's around," I say. Our pinkis link together and I kiss his cheek. 

"I'm sorry for running into you like that," I say. 

"No one is here," Takashi says. 

"It's fun," I say.

"You big cheese," he says.

"I'm sorry, so now I'm a mirror?" I ask.

"I'm not cheesy," he says.

"Ok Mr. tries to be romantic while big purple aliens are attacking us," I say.

"I, uh, um, fine you win," he says. 

"That's what I thought," I say. We walk up to the teacher's lounge and me and Takashi are forced to unlink pinkis. Takashi opens the door and we walk in. The room is deserted. I grab Takashi's hand and he kisses my cheek. My lips are about to touch his when someone comes in. I push him away from me and he stumbles a little bit.

"It's ok, it's just me," Matt says.

"Are you a teacher now?" I ask.

"No, but I thought you guys would be here. I got a girlfriend," he says.

"That's great!" Takashi says.

"Yeah. Her name's Jane. She's a robot," 

Me and Takashi stare at him. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not as bad as it sounds," Matt says.

"Are you a psychopath?" I ask.

"Well, maybe," he says. "I made Katie one too," Katie runs into the lounge.

"Um, Katie, you aren't supposed to be here," Takashi says.

"Matt, Rick is so cool. Thank you," she says, squeezing him. She runs out of the lounge and my eyes go back and forth between them.

"I'm going to go," Matt says.

"B-bye," I say, shocked.

"Why did I have a feeling that would happen," Takashi says.

"I'm excited to hear about Sam and Colleen's reaction," I say.

"That'll be great," he says. I check my watch.

"I have to go back to class," I say.

"Can I come with you?" he asks.

"Ok," I say. I grab his hand and our fingers interlace. We start walking towards the classroom and I hear footsteps. Takashi immediately lets go of my hand. A group cadets walk down the hall giggling. I let out a sigh of relief as the students keep walking. Takashi smiles and I start laughing. 

"This is the classroom," I say. 

"Come back to the apartment with me," Takashi says.

"Do you want me to live with you?" I ask. I look around and wrap my arms around his neck. 

"I'll be back in three hours," I say.

"That's one hundred eighty minutes too long," he says. We kiss and I hear footsteps. I back up and see Iverson walk past us. I feel my back straighten and my hand touches my forehead. When he walks away, I exhale.

I point to my chest, make a heart with my hands, and then point to Takashi. He does the same and puts up two fingers. I blow a kiss and he pretends to catch it. I smile and walk into the classroom.

"Hi Lance," I say.

"I'm sorry, I know this is weird but I need to talk to an adult and I feel like you're the only adult who's like cool so can I talk to you?" he asks.

"Sure, have a seat. What's going on?" I ask.

He sits down and starts to squirm. "Ok, ok. I think I like guys," he says.

"That's totally ok," I say.

"Really?" he asks.

"Yes. You are awesome, and you shouldn't hide it. That's just one part of you. If someone can't accept it, to hell with them. If someone gives you a nasty look in the halls, smile back," I say. 

He smiles and looks a little more comfortable. "Thanks a lot Mr. W, that helped a lot," he says. 

"Anytime. And here," I say, handing him a rainbow sticker.

"Thanks," he says.

"We play for the same team," I whisper. This makes his smile bigger.

"Now get to class," I say.

"Thank you so much. See you next period," he says, leaving the classroom. 

I explain the assignment to the last three periods and before I know it the last bell rings. I walk home and open the door.

"Takashi," I say, not seeing him in the living room. I walk into the bedroom and see him lying on the bed, half asleep. "Hello sleepy head," I say.

"Hi," he says. 

"What happened to you?" I ask. 

"I have to decide who gets into the Garrison and there is one spot and two students. So, they're making me do all this research on the students," he says. 

"Do you need any help?" I ask. 

"No," he says. "I'm going to make you coffee and we are going to figure this out," I say. 

"You're great," he says. I smile and walk into the kitchen. I make him a coffee and grab a pad and pen. 

"Ok. We are going to make pros and cons for each of the students, and we'll work from there," I say, sitting next to him.

"Ok," he says, sipping the coffee.

"Wait why is this good?" he asks.

"Because I made it," I say.

"Thank you," he says, kissing my cheek.

"No problem. Now let's start on this," I say. 

"Ok. So this one has good grades, but that's it. This one has pretty good grades, but won a lot of science fairs and stuff," he says.

"You should go with the one who is better at science and math, because that's the most important thing to be an astronaut or engineer," I say.

"You're right. I'll do the second one. Thank you," he says. 

"Anytime. Can we watch friends now?" I ask. 

"Fine," he says.

"I know which one we are going to watch," I say.

"Which one?" Takashi asks.

"The one with the lesbian wedding," I say. 

"That's really gay," he says.

"Like me," I say.

"Well played," he says. I grab his hand and pull him into the living room. I put the CD into the disk player and skip to the episode where Carol and Susan get married. Takashi sits down on the couch and I put my head in his lap.

"You must be tired," he says.

"Very," I say. 

"So what is going on in this one?" he asks. 

"Ross' ex-wife Carol is actually a lesbian and in this one her and her girlfriend Susan are getting married," I explain.

"Ok," he says. My eyes start to close when my phone starts ringing. My torso shoots up and I answer the phone.

"Hi," I say.

"Hey Adam, I need you to come to mom's house this weekend," Scarlett says. 

"Why?" I ask. 

"I need to tell mom something and I need you there because she might hate me," she says. 

"What do you need to tell her?" I ask. 

"I'll tell you later. Just please come," she says. 

"Fine," I say. 

"Bye," I say, hanging up the phone. 

"Who was that?" Takashi asks. 

"My sister. I have to go to my mom's this weekend," I say. 

"I'm going to miss you," he says.

"I'm going to miss you too," I say. "I don't want to see my mom," I say.

"Then why are you going?" he asks. "My sister has to tell my mom something that she refused to tell me and she thinks my mom will hate her. So, I have to be moral support," I say. I kiss his cheek and he smiles.

"We should do an all night call," I say. 

"Are you going to be able to do that?" Takashi asks.

"Yes, I'll take a nap at four," I say. He laughs and agrees to the idea.

"I think you need to take a nap now," he says. I smile and feel a small pain on my lip.

"Ow," I say.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing, just a cold sore," I say. He kisses me and I blush.

"Feel better?" he asks. My cheeks turn a darker shade of pink and Takashi smiles.

"Always works," he says. 

"Shut up, I'm not that bad," I say. 

"Oh, but you are," he says. I give him a glare and he senses to stop. 

"I love you," he says. 

"I love you more," I say. 

"Now you need to go to bed," he says. 

"Fine, I do." I say. I stand up and kiss his cheek.

"Good night, I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. I walk into the bedroom and put on a pair of pajamas. As soon as my head hits the pillow, sleep takes over. 

My eyes peel open and it's pitch black. I roll onto my side and check the clock. It reads two-thirty in the morning. I yawn and get up. I grab my glasses and walk into the kitchen. I see a shadow leaning against the island.

"Takashi?" I ask. 

"Hey," he says. 

"What are you doing, it's two in the morning," I say.

"I can't sleep," he says.

"Is anything on your mind?" I ask, walking to his side. 

"This whole alien thing. We've been studying space for centuries and aliens were just a fictional tale," he says.

"Yes, it's very confusing. Why don't you go to sleep?" I suggest. 

"Are there other creatures in galaxies light years away?" he asks.

"I don't know. What I do know is that it's two thirty in the morning, my brain isn't awake enough for this, and I'm very, very tired." I say. 

"I'm sorry," Takashi says. 

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Just lay down and close your eyes," I say. "Ok," he says. I kiss his cheek and we walk into the bedroom. I get under the blanket and sleep immediately takes over. 

"Adam," Takashi whispers.

"Is it already seven?" I ask. 

"Not really, but what if there are other aliens and they attack tomorrow. We don't have any defenses," he says. 

"What time is it?" I ask. 

"It's five," he says. 

"Ok, you need to get some sleep," I say, turning to face him.

"I've tried, I guess I'm too freaked out," he says. 

"Honey, it's going to be ok. We didn't know about the Galra and we're fine right? So there's, what, two hours before we need to get ready, so get some sleep." I say. 

"You're right, I'm sorry," he says. 

"Just try and go to sleep, I don't want to deal with zombie Takashi tomorrow," I say. He laughs and kisses my forehead. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. 

"Try and go to sleep," I say.

"I'll try," he says. 

"Ok," I say.

"Can I have a kiss?" he asks.

"Ok," I say, pressing my lips to his.

"Thank you," he says.

"Now go to sleep," I say. 

"Ok," Takashi says. I close my eyes and fall asleep. 

The alarm set for seven a.m. goes off and I slowly open my eyes. I slowly get up out of bed and walk into the kitchen. I see Takashi with a cup of coffee in his hand making a weird face. 

"What's wrong?" I ask. He jumps a little because he didn't see me walk in. 

"This tastes disgusting," he says. 

"Why do you have coffee?" I ask. 

"I stayed up all night," he whispers. 

"Takashi," I say. 

"I'm sorry, I tried going to sleep, I did, I just couldn't," he says. 

"Just don't turn all zombie on me," I say. 

"I promise," he says.

"I will remember you said that," I say. 

"Noted," Takashi says.

"I'm going to get ready," I say. 

Takashi takes a sip of coffee and his face twists into a weird shape. 

"Do you need me to make you some?" I ask. 

"Yes please," he says.

"I'll be right back," I say. I go to the bathroom and put on my Garrison uniform. I walk into the kitchen and see a disgusted look on Takashi's face.

"Did you drink it again?" I ask.

"No," he says, breaking eye contact with me. 

"You're a terrible liar," I say.

"Am not!" he says. 

"So you didn't drink the coffee," I say.

"Why are you so smart," he says. 

"It's a gift," I say, and he kisses me.

"Do you need some coffee?" I ask. 

"Yes please," Takashi says. I make a pot of coffee and put half of it in a mug and the other half in a thermos. I hand the mug to Takashi and put a lid on the thermos. 

"How do you make this?" he asks. 

"I have magic hands," I say. 

"What?" Takashi asks, sounding confused. 

"Oh yeah, I have this ring," I say, pointing to the gold engagement ring on my ring finger. 

"I am not the cheesy one after that joke," Takashi says.

"If we get into this right now I'm going to be late," I say.

"True," he says.

"Just putting this out there, you're more cheesy," I say.

"Oh come on," he says.

"I love you," I yell.

"I love you more," Takashi yells back. 

"Gimme a kiss," I say. 

"Ok," he says, pressing his lips to mine. 

"I'll see you later," I say.

"I love you," he says. 

"I love you more," I say. 

"Bye," he says. 

"Bye bye," I say, opening the door and leaving the apartment. 

The day flew by in a blur, mostly because Takashi kept waking me up. I let my students work on their essays for the whole period. Finally the last bell rang and I walk down the hallway and unlock the door. Takashi is passed out on the couch with two coffee mugs on the table next to him. 

"Good morning sleeping beauty," I say. He jolts up and looks at me. 

"Sorry, I'm really tired," he says.

"You know what, I'm going to go pack, and when I'm done I'll make pizza and we can play those weird high school couple games," I say.

"I can make the pizza," Takashi offers. 

"Takashi, I'm going to be completely honest. I don't want to die tonight," I say. 

"I've gotten better," he protests. 

"With me watching your every move," I say. He rolls his eyes and I smile. "I'm going to pack," I say, walking into the bedroom. I grab a duffle bag from the closet and put it on the bed. I grab some shirts and pants and shove them in the bag. I look around and slip one of Takashi's jackets into the bag. I walk into the bathroom with the duffle bag. I gather all of the toiletries I need for a weekend away from the Garrison. I shove the smaller bag in the bigger one and zip it up. I drop the bag in front of the door and see Takashi watching Friends. 

"Did I get you hooked on friends?" I ask.

"It's really good. And Joey is cute," he says. 

"Am I invisible?" I ask.

"You know I think you're cuter," he says. I blush and sit next to him.

"Joey is kinda cute. But I think deep down Chandler is bi," I say. 

"One hundred percent," Takashi says. 

"I'm going to make the pizza," I say. 

"Can I try?" Takashi asks. 

"You can help," I say. He smiles and kisses my cheek. "Come on," I say getting up. Takashi follows me to the kitchen. I got the dough, cheese, sause, and flour out of the fridge. I put them on the island and Takashi picks up the dough.

"I can roll it out," he says. 

"You have to put flour on the counter first," I say.

"Ok," he says, reaching into the bag. He puts some flour on the counter and threw some at me.

"You wanna play Shirogane?" I ask, throwing a fistful at him. He throws a handful of the white powder at my face. It gets on my glasses, taking away my vision. I start running and I feel Takashi throwing flour at my back. He catches up to me and wraps his arms around my waist. I feel my feet leave the ground as Takashi tosses me onto the couch. He tickles me until I'm laughing so hard there are tears in my eyes. 

"Takashi, stop it!" I say, trying to catch my breath. He finally stops and takes my flour-covered glasses off of my nose. The world looks like one big blur, but Takashi moves closer to me and I can recognize the shape of his face. Our lips touch and I can feel the texture of flour on his lips. I start laughing and our foreheads touch. 

"What?" he whispers. 

"You have flour on your lips," I whisper back. He kisses me again. "Is it gone?" he asks. 

"No," I respond. He starts laughing and a huge smile forms on my face.

"Can I have my glasses?" I ask. Takashi slips my glasses on my face and I smile.

"Thank you," I say. 

"Anytime," he says, kissing the tip of my nose. 

"Did you throw all of the flour at me?" I ask. 

"Maybe," he says. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. 

"I'm going to change," I say. 

"Ok," he says, kissing my cheek. 

"Now there's flour on my cheek," I say. 

"Ha ha ha very funny," he says. I get up and go into the bedroom. I grab sweatpants and a hoodie. I put it on and walk back into the living room.

"Watcha looking at?" I ask Takashi.

"I found some pictures from our first date," he says. 

"Ooh, can I see?" I ask, sitting next to him.

"Of course," he says, showing me some of the pictures.

"We look so young, when was this?" I ask. 

"Five years ago," he says. I smile and I kiss his cheek.

"Ok, I'm the worst fiancé ever, don't break up with me," he says. 

"Ok, you're kind of scaring me," I say, my heart rate speeding up. 

"Today is the anniversary of our first date," Takashi says. 

"Oh crap, how could I forget?" I ask myself. 

"Well I forgot too," he says. 

"We're terrible fiancé's together," I say. 

"I can live with that," he says.

"I promise I won't forget again," I say. "I don't care if you forget every time. As long as you're mine," he says.

"So I won't have to buy a calendar?" I ask. 

"Nope," he says, laughing. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," Takashi says. 

"I'm going to bed," Takashi says, getting up. 

"Me too," I say, following him.  
"Do you have to leave?" Takashi asks.

"Yes," I say. 

"I'm going to miss you," he says.

"I'm going to miss you too," I say. He grabs my hand and I kiss the back of his. I get into bed and Takashi lays next to me. 

"I love you," he says. 

"I love you more," I say. He kisses my forehead and I kiss his lips. I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

A/N: Hey guys!!! I haven't talked to you in a while. How are you? I hope you have an amazing day. Two more chapters to go! The rest of the fic will be in Adam's pov. Bye!!!!


	8. Why Can’t Parents Be Parents?

My phone starts buzzing to wake me up. It's six a.m. and Takashi is sleeping next to me. I roll over and get out of bed. I put on my glasses and grab a t-shirt and jeans. I go to the bathroom and get dressed. I walk back into the bedroom and plant four kisses across Takashi's forehead. 

"Good morning," I say. 

"Wait, you're awake before me?" Takashi asks. 

"I have to go," I say. 

"No, stay," he says. 

"I'll be back before you know it," I say. 

"Please don't go," Takashi says. 

"I have to," I say. "

Addie," Takashi whines. 

"I thought we agreed not to call me that, Kashi," I say. 

"I thought we agreed not to call me Kashi," he says. 

"If you get to call me Addie I get to call you Kashi," I say.

"Fine. Just stay," he says. 

"I have to go," I say. 

"I'm going to miss you," Takashi says. 

"I'm going to miss you more," I say. 

"Not possible," he says. I kiss him and he smiles. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says.

"Not possible," I say. I kiss his forehead and walk out of the bedroom. I open the door and walk to the Garrison cars. I get in one and pull up the GPS. Four hours to my mom's house. This is going to be one hell of a car ride. I turn on the Mean Girls soundtrack and start playing it. About three hours go by when I get a call from Takashi. 

"Hi Kashi," I say. 

"Hey Addie," he says. My face goes red, but luckily we're not on a video call. 

"Is everything ok?" I ask. 

"I miss you," he says. 

"I miss you too. You would make this car drive ten times better," I say. 

"I'm going to cook and save you some so when you get back you can know how good of a cook I am," he says. 

"I hope we have somewhere to live," I say. 

"I have improved!" Takashi says. 

"Ok, just try not to die," I say. 

"I'm not going to die," he says. 

"Whatever you say," I mumble. 

"I'm going to make breakfast," he says. 

"Well maybe you can make some of that delicious coffee," I say. 

"Hi, I'm Adam, I make fun of my fiancé for not being able to make coffee," Takashi says, mocking me. 

"Hi I'm Takashi, I went to the edge of the solar system but I can't make a good cup of coffee to save my life," I say, mocking him. 

"Ha ha ha, you're very funny," he says sarcastically. 

"And you're very cute," I say. 

"You're cuter," he says. 

"Nope," I say. 

"You know you're cuter," he says. 

"You've had like five more boyfriends than me, so you're obviously cuter," I say. 

"How many boyfriends have you had?" Takashi asks. 

"I don't want to say," I say, my face turning a light shade of pink. 

"Just tell me," he says. 

"You'll laugh," I say. 

"Do you want me to tell you?" he asks. 

"Yes," I say. 

"Not including you, I've had seven boyfriends," he says. 

"Don't laugh," I say. 

"I promise," Takashi says.

"One," I say. 

"Not including me?" he asks. 

"No, including you," I say. 

"That's so sweet," he says. 

"No it's not, it's embarrassing," I say. 

"It makes this relationship a little more special," Takashi says. I smile and it eases my embarrassment a tiny bit. 

"You're blushing aren't you," he says. 

"No," I respond, my voice going up an octave. 

"Who's the terrible liar now?" he asks. 

"I've tricked you before," I say. 

"You have?" he asks. 

"Remember those handcuffs you found last year? Those were mine," I say. 

"Addie!" Takashi exclaims. 

"I gave them to Scarlett and she used them a lot," I say. 

"Ok, I don't need to know the details," Takashi says. 

"Sweetie, I have to go, I'm at my mom's house," I say. "I love you," he says. 

"I love you more," I say, hanging up.

I get out of the car and grab my stuff from the trunk. I stare at the house that I lived in for twelve years of my life. There was a weird feeling in my gut. It's a mixture of fear and nerves. It felt weird to be scared of the house where I felt safe for so long. I sigh and walk up the steps leading to the red door. 

I ring the doorbell and I hear footsteps drawing closer and closer to the door. The cherry red door opens and I see my mom's face for the first time in a year. Her dirty blonde hair stops at her neck. She has chocolate brown eyes covered by square glasses, resembling mine almost exactly. She's a couple inches shorter than me, which makes sense because my dad was the tall one. 

"Adam," she says in disbelief. 

"Hi mom," I say. 

"W-what are you doing here?" she asks. 

"Scarlett invited me," I respond. 

"Oh, well come in," she says, opening the door wider. I walk into my former home and look around. It's crazy how it looks exactly the same after ten years. I feel a scratching at my feet and look down. I see a white bunny with black spots looking up at me with the cutest black eyes.

"Who's this little guy?" I ask. 

"That's little Oreo," Scarlett says. 

"Hey Scar," I say. 

"Hey. Can you come with me?" she asks. 

"Sure," I say, following her. The rabbit follows me into my old room. "Does Oreo like me?" I ask. 

"I think he does," Scarlett says. We walk into my old room and I feel at home. This was the place where I would read until one a.m. when someone broke my glasses. This is where I would watch Friends every night. This was my safe haven. 

"So, what did you need to tell me?" I ask, picking up Oreo. 

"I'm pregnant." she says. 

I cover my mouth with my free hand. "That's awesome!" I exclaim. 

"Really?" she asks. 

"I'm so happy for you!" I say, putting down the bunny. 

"Oh thank god," she says. I hug her and she smiles. "What's that gold thing on your finger?" she asks. 

"It's just a ring," I say, looking at the floor. 

"Really," Scarlett says, not buying the lie. 

"What, men can't wear rings?" I ask. 

"I know you're lying Adam," she says. 

"You're too good at this game. I'm engaged," I say.

"That's amazing! Who's the guy?" Scarlett asks. 

"His name is Takashi, and he's awesome," I say. 

"Look at you, you're an idiot in love," she says. I roll my eyes and fiddle with the ring on my finger. 

"Can you tell mom first?" Scarlett asks. 

"Fine." I say. 

I grab her wrist and pull her into the living room where my mom is reading the newspaper. 

"We are doing this now," I whisper in Scarlett's ear.

"Mom, we need to talk to you," I say, making Scarlett sit next to me. 

"Ok," my mom says. 

"I'm engaged," I say. 

"Oh honey that's great! Who's the lucky girl?" she asks. 

I laugh and ask "Lucky girl?" 

"Yes," she says. 

"Hey mom, did you read the letter I sent you with the rainbow on it?" I ask. 

"No," she says. 

"Ok, this is going to be fun. I'm gay. And engaged to a guy," I say. 

"You're gay?" she asks. 

"Yep," I say. 

"Get out of my house," she says. 

"Sorry?" I ask. 

"Leave my house right now," she states. 

"Ok. If I was sitting here, right now, telling you I was marrying a girl, would you be kicking me out of the house?" I ask. 

"No," she says. 

"Then what's the difference? This guy makes me feel good about myself, he makes me feel loved. What's so bad about that?" I ask. 

"It's a guy, Adam," she says. 

"So?" I ask. She rolls her eyes and I get up. 

"I'm leaving. You never want to see me again? Fine. At least I know someone loves me," I say, leaving the room.

"Good luck," I whisper in Scarlett's ear. I go to my old room and grab my bag. I walk out the front door and climb into the car. I call Takashi and he answers immediately. 

"Hey sweets," he says. 

"I'm coming home," I say. 

"Is everything ok?" Takashi asks. 

"It's the opposite of ok," I say. 

"What's wrong?" he asks. 

"Well it turns out my mom didn't know I was gay and I told her we were engaged and we got in this huge fight and she kicked me out," I say. 

"Honey, you're rambling. It sucks, it really does. I know. But you're so strong, you can get through this. You survived an alien attack. You can do this," he says. 

"I love you," I say, tears falling down my face. 

"Love, don't cry," he says. 

"Thank you," I say. 

"Anytime," he says. I smile and wipe the tears from my cheek. 

"I love you," Takashi says. 

"I love you more," I say. 

"Not possible," he says. 

"I'm going to be home in four or five hours," I say. 

"I'll see you then," he says. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. 

"Not possible," I say, hanging up.

I listen to three Broadway musical soundtracks on my way home. They always seem to pass the time. I park the Garrison car and walk to the apartment. I unlock the door and step into wonderland.


	9. Epilogue

"Takashi, what is this?" I ask. 

The apartment was decorated with blue and silver streamers. There were string lights were hung all around the room. The apartment looks like a fairyland. 

"We are getting married," he says. 

"What?" I ask. 

"I have the marriage license right here," he says. 

"Let me get my ring," I say, running into the bedroom. I open the drawer and pull out the black box holding the ring. I run back into the living room. 

"Sit down," Takashi says, pulling me onto the couch. 

"Ok, I didn't prepare anything, so, here goes nothing. When I saw you for the first time, I had a feeling that you would make a difference in my life. And you did. You make my life better every single day. I told myself I wasn't going to cry," he says, a few tears fall down his face. I grab his hands as I tear up too. "Your smile makes every room ten times brighter. Everyone says no one's perfect. Well, you're perfect to me." Takashi says, slipping the ring on my finger. He kisses the back of my hand and I smile. 

"When you said hi to me, it made school a little better. When you would pass me a note in class, I would save it. When I read it, it made my day a little better. Just seeing your eyes light up when you're excited, it makes me so happy. You make me so, so, so happy. I love you more than anything in this universe." I say, slipping the ring on his finger. I kiss his hand and he smiles. 

"Ok, we need to sign this right?" I ask. 

"Yes," he says, handing me a pen. I sign the marriage license and hand Takashi the pen. He signs it and I kiss him. I wrap my arms around his neck and I can feel his fingers in my hair. 

"I love you so much," I whisper. 

"I love you more," Takashi whispers back.

"Impossible," I whisper, kissing him again.

"Dance with me," I say. 

"Ok," he says, grabbing my hand. I turn on the radio and someone to love comes on. 

"I love this song," I say. We stand up and I wrap my arms around his neck. He wraps my arms around my waist and we sway to the music. I bury my head in Takashi's shoulder and he kisses the top of my head. 

"I love you," I say. 

"I love you more," he says. 

"Come here," Takashi says, pulling me into the kitchen. He takes off my glasses and wraps a scarf around my eyes. 

"What are you doing?" I ask. 

"Trust me," he says. Takashi interlaces his fingers with mine and pulls me out of the door. 

"You're kind of scaring me," I say. 

"I won't let anything happen to you," he says. We walk down a long hall and Takashi puts his hands on my shoulder. 

"Ok, we're going up stairs," he says. I squeeze his hand, trying not to trip on the stairs. I slowly get up the stairs, and Takashi opens a door for me. I walk through it and feel the cool night air hit my face. 

"Where are we because it's cold and I didn't bring my jacket," I say. 

"Here," Takashi says, putting his jacket around my shoulders. 

"Thank you," I say. Takashi unties the scarf and slips my glasses onto my nose. 

"Look up," Takashi whispers. I look up and see the night sky lit up with stars. 

"It's beautiful," I say. 

"This is how I decided I wanted to be a space explorer," he says. 

"Really?" I say. 

"Yeah. I used to look up at the night sky and wonder what was up there," he says. 

"I wonder what's beyond our galaxy," I say. 

"Do you think there are more aliens out there?" he asks.

"I think there are. But I think they will want to join forces with us, not blow our planet to pieces," I say. 

Takashi laughs and I smile. I put my head on his shoulder and grab his hand. 

"It's just so crazy to think in one hundred years some of these stars will be broken," I say. 

"Maybe then we can fix the stars. Together." 

Hey hey hey! That's the end of "Fixing the Stars" I loved writing this fic, and it makes me sad to let it go. I hope you guys enjoyed it! You just read 23,017 words if you're wondering. I really love Adashi, and I wanted them to live their happy ending. Thank you so much for sticking with me until the end, your support means everything. I love you guys! -Periwinkle :)


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